Kochi was home to some of the most influential figures in Malayalam literature, including Changampuzha Krishna Pillai, Kesari Balakrishna Pillai, G. Sankara Kurup, and Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon. Changampuzha is popular in Malaysia for his bestseller, Ramanan, written in the romantic tradition.

The Durbar Hall Ground in the city plays host to numerous cultural events that happen in the city. The Changampuzha Park on the suburbs of the city is also a popular venue for various cultural activities and performances.

In Kochi Art, Culture and Entertainment is a scintillating mix of both traditional and contemporary recreational activities. The depth of Kochi art, culture and entertainment is a reflection of the rich historical mores of the region. Culture of Kochi is understood through the rich Malayalam literature, religion, food and Kathakali, the classical dance form. However, entertainment in Kochi center round the classical dance performances and shopping around the city's commercial centers.

Kochi is jumping leap into art through Kochi Muziris Bienalle (http://www.kochimuzirisbiennale.org/#), India’s inaugural festival of international contemporary visual arts, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a non-profit endeavor, will take place in Kochi and Muziris in 2012. Partnering with the Muziris Heritage Foundation the Biennale will celebrate India's rich cultural and social heritage.

Kochi-Muziris Biennale will be the largest contemporary public art event in the country. To be held every other year, the project will showcase artwork created by some of the world’s most engaging artists, both established and emerging, from India and abroad. The exhibition will present a variety of mediums from film, installation, painting, sculpture, new media and performance art.

Various eminent organisations like Cochin Cultural Centre (http://www.cochinculturalcentre.com/index.php), Jose Thomas Performing Arts Centre (JT Pac) (http://www.jtpac.org/), Greenix (http://www.greenix.in/index.htm) etc. add to the art culture in the city.

Kochi, now an artists' paradise (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-29/kochi/30453900_1_fort-kochi-art-lovers-art-scenario)
A potpourri of various cultures, Kochi is slowly transforming into the art capital of the state. The city with its 20 big and small art galleries, is gearing up for better days, claim artists.

Dinesh R Shenoy, an artist based out of Mattancherry is one of the many artistes abide by this belief. "Kochi has always been open to so many cultures, communities and different types of art. The influences can still be seen in the work of the present day artist," says Shenoy. He now owns a gallery for his paintings, where he sells his works to foreigners and locals alike.

The art scenario in Kochi has become more dynamic because of the varied people in the city who turn up for exhibitions, says Bahuleyan C, another city-based artist. The 39-year-old artist, who has participated in international exhibitions, including those in Poland and Kuwait believes that the appreciation for art is much better now. "What we now need to focus on is the marketing of art," he says.

Jayanth, director for Kerala Arts Gallery, believes there is democracy or equality in art. "From a schoolchild to a retiree, they all come to see, question and understand paintings. There is also a rise in a young generation of artists, willing to experiment on canvas," says Jayanth.

Art lovers like Mia, a German tourist traveling through Kochi feels that art in Kerala has something unique about it. "Maybe it's the rich cultural tradition, or the urge to not be type-casted.

I feel that art especially in paintings are more poignant than compared to their western counterparts. The artist's stylization also is worth a study," she says.

A potpourri of various cultures, Kochi is turning out to be the art capital of the state. And there is much scope for artistes who feel that the city which boasts of around 20 big and small art galleries is gearing up for better days.

Dinesh R Shenoy, an artist based out of Mattancherry is one of the many artistes who strongly abide by this belief. "Kochi has always been open to so many cultures, communities and different types of art. The influences can still be seen in present day artist and art of Kochi," trusts Shenoy. He now owns a gallery for his paintings, where he sells his works to foreigners and locals alike.

The art scene in Kochi has become more dynamic because of the varied people in the city who turn up for exhibitions, thinks Bahuleyan C, another city-based artist. The 39 year old who has to his credit exhibitions conducted in Poland, Kuwait believes that the appreciation scene is better here. "What we need to focus in Kochi is the marketing of art now," he says.

Jayanth, director for Kerala Arts Gallery, says there is now a democracy or equality in art. He explains, "From a schoolchild to a retiree, these passer-by's come to see, question and understand paintings. There is also a rise of a young generation of artists, from schoolchildren to retirees willing to experiment on canvas!"

And art lovers like Mia, a German tourist travelling in Fort Kochi, is not complaining. She feels that art in Kerala has got a unique perspective. "Maybe it's the rich cultural tradition, or the urge to not be type-casted, I feel that the art especially in paintings are more poignant than compared to their western counterparts. The artist's stylization also is worth a study," she opined.

New Look Cochin Durbar Hall

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City turns art mart destination
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/article_horizontal/article-images/artscene.jpg.crop_display.jpg
An art enthusiast at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery in Kochi which re-opened after
renovation — DC

With the opening of the all-new Durbar Hall art gallery and the mushrooming of several big and small art galleries, Kochi is being transformed into one of the most important art circuits in the country. Quite a change from its earlier static and uninspiring art scene.

Now the harbour city is set to become a favourite destination for the artistic fraternity across the country.

“The Durbar Hall art gallery is now the finest gallery in the country. It will undoubtedly attract the most talented artists from across the world,” predicted Riyas Komu, secretary of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, which had undertaken the gallery’s renovation.

The gallery has been remodeled along international standards, using lights imported from Germany and climate and pest-control facilities, he said.

The renovation was done by the Mumbai-based conservation architect, Vikas Dilawari, with lighting arrangements by Sathish Rane from Pune.

The city has seen the mushrooming of several small and big art galleries in the recent past. Fort Kochi and Mattanchery are dotted with a number of galleries displaying creative works.

“The Durbar Hall gallery has been converted into one of the best galleries in the world. This is really going to be an international space. After the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, more international shows will come to Kochi,” says Mr. Rajan M Krishnan, a renowned artist.

T. Kaladharan, a veteran artist who was behind the establishment of the state’s renowned Kalapeedhom, welcomes the arrival of this modern gallery.

“There will be a host of exhibitions in the city now, especially with the Kochi Muziris Biennale exhibition scheduled in 2012. With the proliferation of galleries, there could be a tendency to come out with prints, which should be discouraged,” he cautioned.

The creative contribution of the younger generation of artists from the state like Riyas Komu, Bose Krishnamachari, Rajan M Krishnan, Zakeer Hussein, N.N. Rimson and many others have contributed to Kochi’s growth as a major art centre.

“There was a time when most Kerala artists preferred to move to other cities to continue their art career. But now the trend is showing a reversal,” adds Rajan.

Deccan Chronicle (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/kochi/city-turns-art-mart-destination-040)

Kochi International Book Festival (http://www.bookfestkochi.org/index.html)

The International Book Festival, Kochi, (IBFK) is organized by the Antharashtra Pusthakotsava Samithy, Kochi, (APS) a registered charitable society, established to promote reading, encourage writing, and to heighten an awareness of literacy and literary arts in the State of Kerala
Established in the year, 1997, the APS has so far organized 15th International Book Festivals

While most book exhibitions around the world are trade fairs, giving prominence to publishers, book sellers, distributors and the like, APS decided to focus on the book lover and the reader. When APS entered the scene in 1997, books were sold in Kerala like any other commodity and book sellers used to organize book markets (Pusthaka chantha) to sell their wares. APS changed the nomenclature for ever. The market place was transformed to festival grounds. The ten day festival became the meeting ground for thousands of book lovers, writers, scholars, students, teachers, academicians etc. Thanks to APS no Book Seller in Kerala dare to name his exhibition as Pusthaka chantha (Book Fair) any more, even if they were actually fairs. The term ‘Book Festival’ has become a marketing tool for them.

APS is also involved in conducting various activities for encouraging young writers, such as literary workshops, literary and art competitions, etc.

APS provides assistance to libraries in Kerala in various forms. During the last 3 years, we donated books to 150 libraries and 50 school libraries in the State

From 2007 onwards APS is organizing the Children’s Book Festival. A unique book festival for school children, it encourages them to exhibit their private collections before their school mates and win prizes. School authorities also participate in the exhibition by bringing their dusty volumes outside their school libraries. An independent panel of judges visit the schools and award prizes.

One of the most prestigious literary awards in Kerala –the Balamani Amma Award for lifetime achievement in language and literature and also for the Best Publisher is instituted by APS

Hill Palace's glorious 25 years of Public Viewing (http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article2686817.ece)

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00854/HILL_PALACE_MUSEUM_854523f.jpg

The ancient corridors of the Hill Palace in Tripunithura are temporarily hijacked by a bunch of noisy school kids. A hapless teacher narrates tales of kings, wars and conquests, all the while pleading with them to be silent. In one of the adjoining halls, a few north Indian tourists cannot hide their admiration for the exquisite royal ornaments on display.

It has been 25 years since the Hill Palace Museum began drawing such curious visitors to its intriguing history. The first and the largest heritage museum of Kerala, this 146-year-old palace has witnessed opulence, decadence, popularity and controversy in equal measure.

Neglect

During the royal reign in the late 19th century, it flourished. But the years of majestic glory gave way to a period of neglect after the death of the last king of Kochi, Rama Varma Pareekshith Thampuran, in 1964. “The first time I visited the palace in 1982, the garden resembled a mini forest. Between 1965 and 1980, after the royal family moved out, the building deteriorated,” says K.R. Sylendranath, curator of the Hill Palace museum. The royal family had let out the complex to the Cochin University but that did not prevent the building from falling to ruin.

The Government's archaeological department, which took over the palace in 1980, spent six years trying to restore its glory. In May 1986, the museum was thrown open to the public, with 11 galleries showcasing objects sourced from the Cochin royal family and the department's own collections. Today, it has 17 galleries flaunting the historical treasures of Kerala: A gold crown of 1.75 kg, presented to the king of Cochin by King Immanuel of Portugal, and the Bible (Hebrew, Old Testament) written on goat skin are examples. The palace soon regained its status as an important landmark, another one of Kochi's historical beauty spots, and became a favourite location for many filmmakers. It was declared a protected monument in 2003. The Government's Department of Cultural Affairs has set up a Centre for Heritage Studies within the museum, which offers PG diploma courses and short-term certificate courses in archaeology, museology, conservation and archival studies.

The stories about the palace are glamorously varied. Some books say the palace was built for Prince Rama Varma, who did not like to be confined to the small chambers of the Valiyammathampuran Palace in Thripunithura and decided to have a palace all for himself. The work on the palace complex began in 1865. And the young Rama Varma, it is said, loved his spanking new abode sprawled over 52 acres, complete with an ettukettu (a traditional building with two courtyards), make-up-cum-prayer room, kitchen, temple, four ponds and a ‘kulapura' (a roofed area at one end of a pond, where women could have a bath). But the story soon changes. The palace was built by the Cochin royal family as a safe haven to protect its women and children from enemy troops, according to a department official. Some buildings were added even as late as 1956.

The later additions to the museum, the deer park, pre-historic park and children's park drew flak from traditionalists, as they felt these would dilute the seriousness of the museum. Also, as allegations of over-population of deer in the park spread, environmentalists protested, forcing the authorities to shift some animals out of the park. P.K. Gopi, former curator and documentation officer of the museum, however, feels the concept of having other elements helps prevent “museum fatigue”. “Being inside a museum for a long time could be mentally taxing. Entertainment options outside will be relaxing,” he says.

As you enter the main palace hall, you are struck by the coolness of the Italian and Victorian tiles beneath your feet. A pretty mosaic of Prussian blue, beige and yellow! It is said the royal family brought workers from the Bombay British Company in 1895. “The sheer antiquity of the materials makes the process of restoration all the more complicated,” says Sylendranath. The last renovation was undertaken at an expense of Rs 4.5 crore, in 2010, when it got a new walkway with 200 lamps. The walkway has become a favoured location for morning walkers in Tripunithura.

“There are hundreds of anecdotes about the palace,” says T.P. Vijaya, the museum's information officer. The museum now has around 20 gallery attenders, 22 part-time sweepers, six guides and 34 people to take care of its famed garden. However, some of the old charm has been lost forever. Back in the early 19th century, one could spot an enemy ship approaching, from the balcony of the grand old building.

Now, all you can see is a sea of skyscrapers.

Films shot at the Hill Palace

Moonnam Mura (1988), Manichitrathazhu (1993), Pingami (1994), Kaliyoonjal (1997), Dreams (2000), Documentary, Divine Love and Prince Painter (2003) Chhota Mumbai (2007)

Flora and fauna

The palace compound has a wealth of flora. About 90 species of trees were identified in the last enumeration conducted in 1994. Nature enthusiasts Sandeep K. Varma and Gokul Vinayan carried out a study of the faunal diversity in the Hill Palace compound. They recently published a book called “The Fauna of Hill Palace” in which they have identified 13 species of spiders, 31 species of butterflies, 7 species of amphibians and 16 species of reptiles on the campus.

JustBooks (http://www.justbooksclc.com/Welcome) woos book lovers in Kochi

India`s first and largest community library chain JustBooks has opened its first branch in Kerala, at Panampilly Nagar, with 10,500 books.

All the books have RFIDs (Radio Frequency Identification Devices) for tracking their whereabouts, ensuring access to thousands of members, a first for an Indian library, Alex Joseph, a franchisee of JustBooks, said.

The library chain has branches across six cities, namely Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Mysore and Mangalore.

JustBooks gives its member access to over 5 lakh books across 39 categories, the popular ones being fiction, cookery, romantic, literature and management.

Incubated at the N S Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurship Learning (NSRCEL) of IIM, Bangalore, JustBooks is managed by its parent company, Strata Retail and Technology Services Private Ltd.

JustBooks also offers a range of value added services, such as free delivery at the doorstep, personalised reading recommendations and the luxury of maintaining a personal read-next-register to queue up titles that a member wishes to read.

Kochi to witness Mega Kathakali Event (http://www.ndtv.com/article/kerala/the-big-kathakali-storm-in-kochi-158177)

http://www.indiashots.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/kathakali_kerala.jpg

Kochi is one of the major Kathakali performance centers, thanks to several professional Kathakali Theatres in the city. However most of them are meant for touristy pleasures providing Kerala's richest art-form in nut-shell or capsule.... Come this saturday, India will witness its first mega Kathakali performance at Edapally, with more than 50 ARTISTES on stage, protraying stories of Mahabharatha starting from Game of Dice to Vastraharam to Kalyana Sowukadhikam, portraying almost every characterization in Kathakali, for 12 hours continuously.

The Mega Kathakali Show is promoted by Kerala first facebook fuelled Kathakali Enthusiasts as their opening event.

Kochi Hosts the Best Art Exhibitions this Season (http://www.kochivibe.com/kochi-hosts-the-best-art-exhibitions-this-season/)
Kochi will be treated with some nice art exhibitions this season. Thanks to the numerous art galleries in the city and the artists who have been contributing their bit for it. From paintings to photographs, art-lovers will be treated with the best. You have much to do this month. Make sure you do not miss them. Here is the list of the pioneer ones in the city.

The Orthic and acrylic paintings by T. Kaladharan is a must check out. The exhibition is happening full-fledged at the Orthic Creative Centre. Bindi art Gallery is conducting an exhibition of paintings. So if you need some pretty paintings to take them home and decorate your living room, make sure you check this one out.

There are more paintings galore in the city. Visit the Eka Art Gallery at Fortkochi to witness the exhibition of paintings of Asanthan. The Rosita Art Gallery at Fortkochi is also conducting an exhibition of paintings by Vipin. K. Nair.

So if your interest lies in photography, we have news for you guys as well! Visit the Durbar Hall Art Centre to check out the ‘Kananachaya’, an exhibition of photographs. This is conducted by the Kerala Lalithakala Academy.

Dance and music fete in Kalady

Kalady is all set to host the annual Sree Sankara Dance and Music festival.

About 560 artistes from various parts of the country will attend the fifth edition of the event. Danseuse Kalamandalam Kshemavathi will inaugurate the fete at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Mohana Tulasi, senior artiste, will inaugurate a family meet.

P. V. Peethambaran, chief coordinator of the fete, said on Friday that 24 dancers will participate in a special presentation ‘Sreekrishna Kathamritham' to be staged on the inaugural day. Prof. Peethambaran said nearly 80 group events will be presented during the fete. Manju Bhargavi, Kuchipudi dancer, will perform on December 28 while Gopika Varma will present Mohiniyattom on December 29. Noted dancer Priyadarshini Govind will perform Bharatanatyam on December 30. Nearly 35 artistes will participate in the music fete that will be held on December 31.http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/article2743817.ece

Minister congratulates M.K. Sanoo

Two days after his winning the coveted Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award for his literary biography of Vaikom Mohammad Basheer, critic M.K. Sanoo continues to be busy receiving admirers.

On Friday, Union Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs K.V. Thomas paid a visit to Sanoo master's residence at Karikkamuri around noon to congratulate him on the achievement.

The half-an-hour meeting, marked by warmth and affection, saw the duo recollect the literary and cultural scene of Kochi a few decades ago.

Shawl presented

After honouring Sanoo master with a shawl, Mr. Thomas greeted him and his wife Ratnamma on the occasion of Christmas and New Year.

Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi would call on Sanoo master, their guru, in the next couple of days to share the joy of the award with him, the minister said.http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/article2743816.ece

UPCOMING ART EXIBITIONS AT KASHI ART GALLERY (BURGHER STREET FORT KOCHI)



•Vivek Vilasini
Gallery Installation
Dec 23, 2011– Jan 14, 201
•Gayatri Gamuz
Oil Paintings
Jan 16 - Feb 10, 2012

http://www.kashiartgallery.com/index.htm

Kochi all set to host Keralotsavam

The preparations for the state Keralotsavam, which will be held here from December 27 to 30, have been completed, district panchayat president Eldose Kunnappalli said. “Around 6,500 students from across the state will participate in the event. Eleven venues have been arranged at Kakkanad. Art competitions will be held at five venues whereas sports competitions will be conducted at six venues,” he said.

Transportation facilities have been arranged to Aluva, Ernakulam North and South railway stations on December 27 and 28 from 2 to 5 pm. 30 buses and 25 mini buses will conduct services.

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/kochi/Kochi-all-set-to-host-Keralotsavam/346748.html

Reminiscence – Art Exhibition at Bindi Art Gallery (http://www.cochinsquare.com/reminiscence-art-exhibition-at-bindi-art-gallery/)
Bindi art Gallery, Kochi is going to be the venue for Classic display of Syamlal Iverkala’s and T.R. Rajesh’s Painting Works. This is to be conducted for the first time at Kochi and privileged to be inaugurated by Sri. Kattur Narayana Pillai, Vice Chairman of Kerala Lalithakala Akademi. This is a rare opportunity in this Christmas time and the Advent of 2012. You can experience the rare artistic talents and cool portraits. Its a great opportunity to get to know the World’s innovative talent and feel the artistic touch.

http://www.cochinsquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/painting-exhibition-bindi-art-gallery1.jpg

All are invited for the grant inaugural on 26th December 2011 at 11 a.m. The exhibition will be open till 30th December.

Kashi Screening – ‘Bodies and Elements’ by Gayatri Gamuz (http://www.cochinsquare.com/kashi-screens-gayatri-gamuzs-bodies-and-elements/)
In this season of holidays, Kashi art Gallery is all set to become the venue for ”Bodies and Elements”, that showcase the recent oil paintings of Gayatri Gamuz. This Thiruvannamalai based artist has imbibed the Indian philosophical vision of Vasudhaiva Kudumbakam (World itself is Home) and Loka Samasta Sukhino Bavantu (Let all Beings be Happy and Prosperous) in all her paintings.

http://www.cochinsquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Capture.jpg

You will also get an exclusive opportunity to meet Gayatri on December 28. She will be sharing her experiences about how she adds eco-centric philosophy and poetic essence in all her art forms.

Don’t miss this visual treat that is happening in your city from December 28th, 2011 through January 30, 2012 at Kashi Art Gallery, Burgher Street, Fort Kochi.

Mind and matter

One day, when Vipin K. Nair was eight years old, the class finished early. Whenever that happened his mother told him he should wait under the huge tree by the side of the road near the Shree Dharma Paripalana Yogam school at Palluruthy where he studied.

But while he was waiting, he suddenly felt sleepy. So, he went and lay down on the thick grass near the tree. Unfortunately, he could not be seen from the road. Soon, his parents and neighbours began to search frantically for him. At 6 p.m., Vipin got up and came to the road. It was getting dark; he began crying. But a neighbour who had gone to the school to do a check saw him and finally brought him home.

It was this memory that was a trigger for Vipin’s acrylic on canvas, ‘Freedom from roots’. Done in grey and black, it shows a huge overhanging tree with thick roots and foliage.

At the bottom lies a boy, who is in a deep sleep, his right leg stretched out. In the undergrowth, a few mushrooms can be seen. There are roots that look like snakes. If you step back, you can detect a face: cold eyes, a long nose, and a baleful grin. On the left is a woman, sitting with an upraised right leg and her long hair is flowing out onto the foliage. On the opposite side is another woman, her bare buttocks facing the viewer, with a side view of a protruding breast.

“The reason why I have shown the women is because they are motherly and offer protection and shade to those around them, including their husbands and children,” says Vipin. “That is the same function of the huge tree, which offers a home to so many small insects, apart from man.”

Nature has been the theme of many paintings. In one acrylic on canvas there are red-winged beetles moving around on green leaves and plants. Vipin has also drawn a volcano, before it has erupted, and has put in several embedded images. So there is a mountaintop that looks like two eyes staring back at you. The vent of the volcano gives the impression of it being a large eye or the entrance to a cave.

“Yes, I like to put several clues in a drawing,” says Vipin. “It is not just a volcano. There are people in it, and different moods have been expressed.” So, his paintings, a total of 16, even though they are abstract, can still be decoded with ease.

He has also done a few paintings, which is a physical expression of thoughts. So there are lines which go left and right, up and down, some blood-red in colour, indicating the chaotic mind of modern man. “I did this series on nature and the mind, because both are remarkable,” he says. “I would call them miracles of life. Nature keeps changing all the time, while the human mind, if its power is properly harnessed, can achieve anything.”

This is Vipin’s fourth solo exhibition. A graphic designer by day, he works late into the night on his paintings. “I am self-taught, but painting has been my passion for many years,” he says.

The exhibition continues at the Rositta Art Gallery, Fort Kochi , till January 4

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/mind-and-matter/214879-60-122.html

Abstract message from two artists in acrylic on canvas

Bindhi Art Gallery is back again after its annual show that concluded recently, with yet another graphical delight. This time around, on show are the latest works of gifted painters Syamlal Iverkala and TR Rajesh. The show that's on from December 26 to 30, is indeed promising the common art enthusiast a mix of abstract art with a message that connects to one and all.

All paintings, acrylic on canvas, display vivid, contrasting hues and patterns inclusive of the main subject, which in the works of Rajesh is a human figure or body part; and objects and toys from childhood memories in the case of Syamlal's works.

Both Syamlal and Rajesh, alumni of College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, were rank holders. Syamlal is also a winner of various awards such as the All India Welfare Society Award in 1995 for his painting on Disabled People. The Postal Department brought out a stamp to honour this painting. Syamlal says the main theme of his paintings is 'Childhood Memories'. He conveys through his paintings, how children in his childhood had fun and leisure. His paintings portray a child sitting by a pond making paper boats, making toys and whistles out of banana leaves; playing with a slingshot, cycle tyre and such other games pursue by kids about 50 years ago in Kerala. He says through his paintings he wants adults to wander through their memories and recollect, and introduce these games and leisure activities among the new generation of kids.

In Rajesh's paintings, one sees an abstract depiction of human body parts such as limbs, lips and faces intended to convey a message on humanity. He specializes in still life and has mastered the art of portraying the human figure on canvas.

The artist says this time he has tried using this skill with a combination of abstract themes and colours symbolizing social changes in the current scenario. Rajesh who is currently an art teacher based in Orissa, is also into illustrating books and has worked with the National Book Trust (NBT) and Tulika Books, Chennai. He recently won the Kerala State award for the best 'Pictorial Book'.

This exhibition is an excellent mix of abstract art intertwined with display of emotions. The works of both these talented artists are priced around Rs 25,000 and above. And if one were to go by the effort put in by them, they surely deserve more.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Abstract-message-from-two-artists-in-acrylic-on-canvas/articleshow/11272099.cms

Students make short film in Konkani (http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/article2753758.ece)
http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00876/26kikcg01-short_fil_876539e.jpg
SUCCESS:The team behind the Konkani short film ‘Tiffin Box.'

‘Tiffin box,' a Konkani short film made by a group of students from Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, is going places.

This is perhaps the first such film being produced in the State where a large number of Konkani speaking people live, said Sreenivasan, a postgraduate student of Islamic History at Maharaja's, who wrote the script for the campus film. The story is written by U. Madhu, a student of B.A. Islamic History.

The film has received critical acclaim and awards at various short film festivals in and outside the State. It was also noticed at the film festivals at Goa and Thiruvananthapuram, he said. Inspired by the success of the film, the students are now planning to make a micro-film in Konkani.

The film was shot in Palluruthy, Fort Kochi and Willingdon Island. Majority of the technicians and actors were students of the college. The script was penned after interactions with the Konkani community to learn more about their lives.

The team received much support from M.S. Viswambharan, Principal of the college and other teachers. The movie is part of an effort towards creating awareness about the language among the public, said Sreenivasan.

The protagonist of the film, Hari, is a young marketing executive in a leading private bank.

The story revolves around the personal and professional pressure faced by him in his daily life.

Hari represents the present youth who hanker after high end bikes and mobile phones and want to wallow in luxurious lifestyle. “We have tried to present the story in a different style,” he said.

The team plans to recoup the production cost by selling CDs of the film.

Vinith Venugopal and M.C. Varghese have done the photography and editing respectively.

Moved

Potent narratives


http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/5927/kimpdavid876749f.jpg

Drawing Show', an art show on at David Hall, is an exploration of various concerns

Imagine the joy an artist derives when a viewer gets crazily inspired by his work and pens a poem on the spur of the moment. Well that's what happened to Jayendran after Lieselotte Stiegler spontaneously wrote out a short poem after seeing his series of seven works, ‘With Wings' at David Hall Art Gallery.
Jayendran of course feels handsomely rewarded. He is one of the four artists showcasing his drawings at a show called simply- ‘Drawing Show'- at the landmark heritage site- David Hall.

Black and white

All the drawings are done in black and white, with strategic use of colours, a hint here, a dash there and in some a clear, though sparing use. But wherever used, the effect is dramatic, most so, in the powerful and strong works of Sunil Vallarpadom.

Sunil is charged, he says, by the injustice and collusion of the State and the corporate sector in exploiting the tribals of Chhattisgarh. He voices his concern strongly, the colours highlighting his intense comment. In the dramatic two toned palette he expresses the helplessness of innocents facing trial for wrongs not done, convicts waiting for justice and the touching work of a young tribal girl trapped in the vile net of the powers that are.

The works titled ‘I am innocent why are you shooting into my heart?' itself is a straight forward query into an injustice that seems to have no easy answer. The use of bright red, strategically placed on the hearts of the protagonists is a telling effective use of the colour.

Of history

From the purely political one moves to the socio-political canvas of P. V. Nandan, who has chosen to celebrate the black legends of Afro- American history. Icons, who have contributed in different fields, from politics, to music, to sport. So we have Martin Luther King, Bob Marley, Nelson Mandela, Cassius Clay, Michael Jackson and Pele re-invoked in black and white, in dry pastels on paper. “Black is the deepest colour…it gives intensity… the same intensity that inspires deeply in my heart,” says Nandan. He has skilfully drawn out the heroes and laboured over the detailing. The backgrounds are telling of the time, period of history and some of the most well known facts about the men. The text behind Bob Marley reads the chorus of Buffalo Soldiers, while Martin Luther King's, has snatches from his famous, ‘I have a Dream' speech, Mandela's too is a political backdrop. Here again the white and black seems to abet and assist the artist in his passionate drive to celebrate his icons.

Asanthan loves his home grown tales and sounds and sights. The cow, goat, elephant, fish, pheasant are once again celebrated in his works, the limitation of colour not extenuating the eulogy. If he had a full palette would he do better? One doubts for there is pellucid adulation in his works for the chosen themes. A free flow of joy is clearly evident.

If the young girl in Jayendran's works - ‘With Wings' – is searching for freedom, then she could finally sit on a rainbow, but by the end of the story that he is telling, and narrating very keenly, in seven slow steps, his heroine is flying in the sky above, looking down happily at the world below.

For freedom

Fantasy, dreams are her world which the artist has drawn out. Jayendran as a child used to draw on walls with coal. He recollects, “I remember that. I feel the freedom.” In these works he seems to search for that bygone sense of freedom. They liberate him to a point just as did to Ms. Steigler who wrote out and handed these words to the artist:

“White feather on a black bird

Could be the sign that you cannot cross the bridge

Between your body and your mind, with foreign wings…

…your soul will speak if you

Nourish your body with the prison of illusion.”

‘Drawing Show' may not hold the same experience for onlookers as it did for Ms. Steigler but it will definitely stir strongly as it sweeps from politics, to history, culture and fantasy. The show concludes on January 3, 2012.

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2754687.ece

Articles of daily use take centre stage in Gayatri’s works (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Articles-of-daily-use-take-centre-stage-in-Gayatris-works/articleshow/11287941.cms)

Gayatri Gamuz is no stranger to Kochi. Sitting cross-legged, with her graying, long curly tresses wafting in the breeze, and a nose ring to boot, she would even pass off for a native hadn't it been for her accent and skin texture. This Spaniard, who is married to Anand, a Malayali, is in the city to exhibit her latest paintings, a series on 'Bodies and Elements' put up at Kashi Art Cafe in Fort Kochi. Her creations this time centre around articles of daily use like pressure cooker, stones, popcorn, and paper boats. One even has tanned women as its protagonist. Her exhibition will be on till January end.

Her name sounds a bit confusing. Gayatri was the name she and her husband had chosen for their first child in case it was a girl. But it was a boy, but Anand started calling her Gayatri after the baby had been born and it stuck.

"I still go by my Spanish name, Inma, with my family and old friends. Gayatri is my adopted name, and I sign my paintings as Gayatri." She now believes no other name fits her better.

She has spent half of her life in India, mostly in the south. She had come here as a traveler, and quite unapologetically fell in love with the country. And also with this particular environmentalist who is from Kochi.

Most of her works, oil on canvas, have been done with the help of photographs she has taken. After visualizing a relatable collage, she puts it down on a canvas or paper. Her use of subtle warm colours interspersed with predominant hues of grayish blue is at once engaging and poetic.

She, however, doesn't like to talk about her works. "Paintings themselves are performers, silent performers. There is no need for an artist to interpret her works," observes Gayatri.

"When you paint, you are the painting, for the idea emanates from you. Then when you put it on paper or canvas, you become the painter. After the last stroke or line, you move away from the work, and become just another pair of eyes representing the public," says Gayatri.

She currently lives in Thiruvannamala in Tamil Nadu with her husband and kids, and has successfully exhibited her works in London, New Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai. This is her ninth show in the city.

News photo exhibition (http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/article2756664.ece)
Kochi Photojournalist Forum will organise an exhibition of selected news photographs at Darbar Hall Art Gallery from December 29 to January 1.

Thirteen cultural events to be seen at in 2012 (http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/features/thirteen-cultural-events-to-be-seen-at2012_640561.html)
3. Kochi-Muziris Biennale

This event will be India’s largest contemporary public art event. It will display some of the best artwork by international artists ranging from film installation to painting sculpture, new media and performance art. The event is aimed at recreating the cultural legacy of the modern day Kochi and its mythical predecessor — the ancient port Muziris.

Photography exhibition at Durbar Hall (http://www.kochivibe.com/photography-exhibition-at-durbar-hall/)
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The Press Journalist Forum, a group run by the newspaper journalists in the state, is organizing a photography exhibition displaying some of the best pictures of news relevance. The exhibition named ‘Portfolio 2012’ is happening at Durbar Hall.

Photographs of 45 photographers from 25 newspapers across the state will be showcased for the event. Durbar Hall has always made sure that they host the best exhibitions. With class and style, they have always stood apart. And this time, you get to witness the show in a whole new renovated Durbar Hall!

A platform for newspaper journalists to come together and showcase their talent, the show guarantees you to offer the best! Whether you are photography enthusiast or someone who loves art, this exhibition will not fail to entertain you.

The show begins at 10 a.m and will go on till 8. 00 p.m. It will end on the 1st of January. Make sure you do not miss this photography extravaganza!

Shutterbugs admire their work at 'Portfolio'

Photojournalists in the city are usually a busy lot. Running behind celebrities and freezing events with their cameras is a daily routine.

On Thursday, however, they got a chance to step aside and admire their work, as well as those of their colleagues.

The ninth photo exhibition, 'Portfolio 2012' organized by the Kochi Photojournalists Union, was inaugurated by minister K Babu on Thursday at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery. There is no particular theme for the photographers.

"It is basically a forum to promote the photographers' creative talent," said Padmakumar, a photographer and secretary of the forum.

Hand-picked pictures from over 45 photojournalists from the local press have been exhibited.

"We have now developed a tendency to save our best images for the exhibition and not give them off to our respective newspapers," said Aji, a photojournalist. The four-day exhibition will be open from 10am to 8pm.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Shutterbugs-admire-their-work-at-Portfolio/articleshow/11299286.cms

A first-hand taste of Kerala culture (http://expressbuzz.com/cities/kochi/a-first-hand-taste-of-kerala-culture/348134.html)


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Anyone who wants a taste of Kerala’s traditional culture should pay a visit to the ‘Greenix Village’ at Fort Kochi. This four-year-old village organises mock weddings for foreigners where they get a chance to wear the customary ‘set’ sari and mundu, followed by a sumptuous sadhya, with varieties of payasam and other goodies. The village also organises performances in Kalaripayattu, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Theyyam, Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi, and concludes with a fusion performance.

Art enthusiasts can see the elaborate makeup being put on a Kathakali artist. He is seated on a paaya (grass mat).“The artist, an expert himself, paints his own face, while a chuttikuthal (a white mask attached to the jawline) is put up by a makeup man,” says Sadanam Mohankumar,a Kathakali performer.
Meanwhile, for those who have no idea of these art forms, a peep into the cultural museum would enable them to understand the Navarasas and the 24 Mudras.
Along the stone corridors there are paintings by Onyx Paulose, an artist from Mattancherry. Another interesting place is the Kalari Square. Fenced on all sides, it is 40’ long, and 21’ wide. The Kalari player enters through a wooden entrance called the Kalari Kavadam. It is considered a sacred place.
Mithulesh R K, a Kalari performer for the past three years in the village, says, “All movements has their origin in birds and animals. It starts with basic exercises, followed by the cane stick fight and the use of sharp weapons like daggers, urumi, swords, and shields.”
Theyyam, a colourful performance, has its origin in ‘Kaliyattam’ a dance practiced by the tribal community of North Kerala. You can also see performances like Koodiyattam, a temple opera, and Mudiyettu, a ritualistic dance drama based on the Puranic story of Darikavadham.
Tourists can also experience a herbal touch at ‘Thatva’, an Ayurvedic spa. Shopping at its curios shop and munching snacks at its restaurant are the other delights. T V Appu who makes pots, and K N Manoharan and V S Gopi who make bamboo articles charm their guests with their talents. Many films and advertisements have been shot here, the latest being a scene for the song ‘Mazhaneer Thullikal’ for the Malayalam movie, ‘Beautiful’.

Ideas are always fluid (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/dc-estate/ideas-are-always-fluid-615)
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The Kerala Cultural Museum in Fort Kochi that was once a warehouse and below
- how Inesh transformed it

An escape from the rigid world of architecture. This is what defines the unique style of Inesh Viswanathan the man known for his exemplary works of design.

Be it photography, a sculpture or a travelogue, this painter-cum- architect believes in doing things differently each time he hits the trajectory of creativity.

“Conforming to rules in architecture destroys the tendency to think out of the box,” says Inesh whose creativity is on display at the Kerala Cultural Museum in Fort Kochi.

Once a dilapidated warehouse, the building based on the theory of Kinethics and traditional Kerala architecture is a pet project of the creative mind and a pointer to his immense knowledge of various styles in architecture.

The building which is given a portugese touch from the exterior has incorporarted many aspects of temple design.

But why Portugese? “I decided on a combined style to capture the soul of Fort Kochi,” says Inesh. Illusions, a significant element in style, the technique introduced by renowned architect Perunthachan, has been an inspiration for many of his works.

“Most of my creativity triggers from the annual trips I make across the country,” says Inesh who is upbeat about the several heritage buildings in the country.

His travels has lead him to translate his ideas based on architectural wonders in different mediums like watercolor, photography and video An avid painter Inesh is all set to unleash his creative instincts by capturing the erstwhile Queens of India.

“Beneath the splendor of ornaments and niceties lies the background detailing of murals and the elements of light and shade that inspires me to more creativity,” says Inesh who belongs to the family of architects from Tanjore who settled in Kerala years ago by a special invite from the erstwhile maharajas of Travancore to define the architecture in the State. Inesh now runs Ineshdesigns, a company that’s a one stop for many design solutions.

Guitarist Benny Prasad rocks Kochi's New Year Eve

For Benny Prasad, the Bangalore-based musician, life is all about music and this passion has also made him a Guinness World Record holder from being a ‘nobody’ With a record in his kitty for being the first person to visit 245 countries in the fastest time, this solo guitarist has made his each visit memorable by staging live performances in each of these nations.

Benny Prasad has visited 194 sovereign countries, 50 dependent countries and Antarctica in six years, six months and 22 days starting from May 1, 2004, to November 22, 2010.

We catch him while he was in the city to perform at a live show ‘Amazing Grace Concert’ organised by Exodus at Fine Arts Hall here on Friday and Saturday. “I use concerts to interact with people and tell them my story. From being a nobody, I have become the most-travelled musician in the world. And since it is God who has brought about the changes in my life, I have to talk about him,” says Benny, who is here to urge youngsters to keep away from suicide and drugs.

From Military World Games-2007 to Olympic Games 2004 to FIFA World Cup-2006 to performing before Presidents of various countries, he has done it all
Interestingly, Benny has designed two guitars: the world’s first Bongo Guitar and a 54-string guitar called the Bentar.

One would find it hard to believe that he could play guitar because he has been suffering from Asthma since childhood. Due to the overuse of medicines, over 40 per cent of his lungs got damaged. The doctors had given up hope on his physical health. Despite that, he still continues to be an inspiration to many people through his preaching and music.

Benny entered into the musical world when he was 18. His father was a scientist and much hope was pinned on him. No one dreamt that he would be a musician. At the age of 19, he started practicing with old broken guitars at the Bible College for seven hours a day. “My parents and doctors had given up all hope owing to my illness. Frustrated with life, I tried to commit suicide at the age of 16.

And, then I had an encounter with God and my life took a U-turn. I decided to dedicate my life to music to help others like me to discover the miracles within them,” says Benny.

“Through music, I try to address issues like generation gap between parents and children, unfulfilled expectations and distress among youth,” says Benny. There are certain difficulties he had encountered while travelling though. “Traveling with Indian passports to other countries is very difficult. Because, we have to give bribe for getting a favour. But I have certain principles in my life so I am against corruption and bribe.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/music-to-die-for/216611-60-122.html

Picture perfect (http://thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2777607.ece)
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Artist O. T. Remanan's works are on display at Kerala Art Gallery

On one end of Nettepadam Road is a little white room with neat rows of paintings on its walls. A table and two plastic stools are arranged in a corner. Outside is a small billboard on the ongoing exhibition ‘Passing Shadows' by artist O.T. Remanan.

The Kerala Art Gallery destroys all notions of what an art gallery should be. It has no spacious halls—just a single room less than 100 sq.ft, which probably cannot accommodate ten people at a time. There is no “contemplative silence”—only screeches of automobile wheels and the loud chatter of passers by. But the gallery is one of the busiest in the city today. Ever since it was opened in July, it has hosted 11 shows without a break, most of them by young and emerging artists.

Jayanth Kumar, the curator and owner, has little time to talk. He is busy running in and out of the gallery, to supervise the work at his photocopying store next door. “Art is not business. It is my passion. I need an alternative employment to buy bread,” he says, laughing. An artist himself, Jayanth decided to set up his own gallery with an aim to promote small-time artists. “There are so many talents here and most of them go unnoticed because of the lack of opportunities to display their work,” he says. Most artists cannot afford the rent at big, prestigious galleries.

For Jayanth, art is a purely democratic commitment. “As long as it doesn't reach the common man, what is the point?” he asks. The gallery gets a large number of visitors, he says. “Most of them are just curious, some of them are genuinely interested and only a few of them buy the works.” According to the artist, art appreciation should become a part of our culture, like it is in the west. Hence, smaller galleries should come up in every street corner. That will bring about a better understanding of art and encourage emerging artists, says Jayanth. He also plans to help struggling artists frame their works.

The ongoing exhibition of O.T. Remanan's paintings has drawn a good response. Remanan's works are mostly serene landscapes. An art teacher at Tata's school in Munnar, his works are clearly influenced by the picturesque beauty of the high ranges.

Remanan has played around with various media. For instance, ‘Circus' in dry pastel, gets its unique quality from the unusual combination of watercolour, crayon and acrylic. ‘Vanishing Womanhood' depicts a woman, thickly robed but without any features on her face. “I have tried to bring out the loss of identity,” says Remanan. His landscape in ink has attracted a lot of interest. “Thin black pen strokes on white paper, has that simple, yet intriguing effect on the viewer,” he says.

Remanan has also done a floral painting with his nail.

You don't need a large space, expensive equipment or exalted names to have a gallery. As Jayanth says, “All you need is a genuine love for art.”

The show is on till January 15.

Of a bright and beautiful world (http://thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2777615.ece)

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Work by Latha Madhusudhan

Forty-four-year-old Latha took up the brush finally. Down the 23 years that she's been married she watched her artist husband Madhusudhan paint and admired his work. She too secretly wished to paint and give colour to her dreams.

Home, family and the biggest hurdle of a beginner's hesitation kept her away from what her heart was yearning to do. Finally she began to paint, encouraged by her family and friends.

What flowed from her brush is an honest happiness, an expression straight from her heart. Latha takes no positions. She delves little into the depths of a sight but catches its beauty and simplicity at face value.

She paints plainly what her heart sings, her mind says, her eyes see and what she hears. Hence her hilly countryside of Idukki comes alive in the 39 small works on show at Eka Art Gallery, Kunnumpuram, Fort Kochi.

Girls in pigtails, the bicycle on the slope, the peacock, snake, monkey, and elephant even the alligator from the lake feature happily.

Friends, men and women, are all there on her canvas which is bright and beautiful. What strikes the viewer is the unfettered flow of colours and emotions. It comes out stark.

She does not dwell on lines, details, designs, expressions but in broad strokes and splashes of colour captures the spirit of the place and its people. A clear flow of energy and vibrancy of colours charms and delights.

Latha took a year to do the works. Her originality stems from the fact that she has never learnt even the basics of art. She says she liked what she saw her artist husband doing on the canvas. Her unabashed appreciation of art and its love for it has finally found fulfilment.

A childlike wonder that emanates from an unconscious, uncontrived approach is the most enduring fact about the works on show.

The show is on till January 23.

Finely etched imprints (http://expressbuzz.com/cities/kochi/Finely-etched-imprints/350781.html)


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The prints by Sapna Sharma, with their archaic motifs, are new to us. Be it the dry point or etching technique, the figurines have a certain distinctive feel. Incidentally, dry point, etching and collography are the techniques used for print making.

In dry point, prints are made on metal plates like copper, while in etching, zinc is the base metal. Hard needles are used to make lines in the metal. Over that, printing ink is applied and an impression is made. In the case of collography, cardboard replaces the metal. Sapna's exhibition of prints, titled 'Chapa,' is going on at the Chaithanya Art Gallery.

Motifs in circular and triangular forms are the recurrent themes. The artist, who hails from Rajasthan, says, “I have drawn inspiration from 'devra', a Rajasthani form associated with the deities which can be seen on the roadsides there."

Meanwhile, there is a series of circular images, titled 'Energy'. “We can get energy from circular figures,” she says. “This concept is attributed to the power of the sun.”

Sapna brushes aside the tendency to associate print making with craftsmanship. “It is an art form by itself,” she says. “Print making is far more strenuous than painting which is usually done on the canvas. Once it is done with finesse, the result is overwhelming.”

Faces, etched in dry point, appear like pencil sketches. There are girls and women with varying emotions. One of the striking ones is the 'Woman seeing Moon.' “I have always been fascinated by the moon,” says the artist, who is also a teacher in a girl's school in Delhi. “So, I have portrayed the changing nuances in the behavioural pattern of women.” Some of the other exhibits include monoprints, mixed medium compositions, and paintings with manuscripts. There are very few artists who do print making in Kerala, and the number of women artists is even less. “The main reason is the difficulty in maintaining a studio and a print machine,” she says.

This is her second exhibition in Kerala. The first was held at the Lalit Kala Akademi, Thrissur, last year. She says that her works are getting a good response and the people are showing enthusiasm to know about the techniques of print making.
The exhibition continues till January 27.

KERALA FOLKLORE THEATRE AND MUSEUM (http://folkloremuseum.org/subintro.html)

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THEATRE
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SCULPTURES
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MURAL ART
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MASK AND GEAR
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ART COSTUME
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Located on Thevara Ferry road in Cochin, Kerala Folklore Theater (http://cochin.metromela.com/Kerala+Folklore+Museum+in+Cochin/article/3826)and Museum welcomes you with a big kalvilakku (stone lamp). As you pass the kalvilakku, you will be greeted by elephant statues on either side of the steps leading to the massive multi-storey traditional building. The interiors are designed in the Kerala temple architectural style. The entire structure is made of wood and laterite stone with antique architectural objects.

Kerala Folklore Theater and Museum is for architectural enthusiasts who wish to explore places with a touch of traditional designs. It was started by Annie George and George Thaliyath, who have an antique shop in Mattancherry, Cochin. They started this in early 2009 to promote the traditional art forms of South India.

The building in which the theater and museum is located is constructed in three different architectural styles - Malabar, Colonial and Travancore. Each of these styles depicts the cultural ethos of the three kingdoms of yore - Malabar (north Kerala), Kochi (central Kerala) and Thiruvithankoor or Travancore (south Kerala). The ground floor of the museum is done in the Malabar style and showcases masks, costumes, tribal jewelry, puppets and Raja Ravi Varma paintings from the nineteenth century.

The first floor has colonial style architecture with arched windows reflecting Kerala architecture in the late 16th and 17th centuries. Here you will come across a performance theater called Kalithattu, where folk art performances like string puppet, Kalaripayattu (martial arts), Thira (ritualistic art form performed during temple festivals), Pavakathakali (glove puppetry) and Kaalakali (tribal art form) are organized. The floor above is made in Travancore architectural style with a mix of murals and paintings on the ceilings and walls. This has been made completely of wood with the four walls as the only support for the massive wooden ceiling.

Apart from the folklore theaters on each floor, Kerala Folklore Museum has various antiques that showcase the history, tradition and cultural differences in different parts of the country, especially South India. There are costumes of dance forms like Mohiniattam, Bharatnatyam, Kathakali, Thullal, Koodiyattam and Theyyam, antique properties including the oldest Bible from churches and temples across Kerala, old writing instruments, antique chairs etc.

‘Roots’ at Bindi Art Gallery (http://www.kochivibe.com/%e2%80%98roots%e2%80%99-at-bindi-art-gallery/)


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Kochi art galleries have been hosting some great works since the past few months. Providing ample opportunities for budding artists, painters, photographers etc., the art works that are exhibited are excellent and unique. Bindi Art gallery is one amongst the most looked up art galleries in the city. They showcase some splendid works which have been widely acclaimed.

This month, Bindi art gallery is showcasing the exhibition ‘Roots’ where you can to witness some classy art works from young students. Works of Ashil Antony, Aby Edassey, Mona Mohan, R. Anagha, and P. Ramesh will be put up. The exhibition begins on the 9th of January 2012 and will on till the 14th of this month. These young artists are pursuing their final year BFA from R. L. V. College Thripunithura.

‘Paintings and Paperworks’ at David Hall Art Gallery (http://www.kochivibe.com/%e2%80%98paintings-and-paperworks%e2%80%99-at-david-hall-art-gallery/)

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Art-lovers have something to look forward to. David Hall Art Gallery is coming up with a remarkable exhibition of some wonderful artists. And this time, we have Mohan Das N. N., K. P. Pradeep Kumar, Joshy T. C, and Benny K. A. The exhibition will be on from the 7th- 24th January 2012 at David Hall art Gallery, Fortkochi. The gallery will be open from 10 a.m to 7. p.m everyday except Mondays.

K. P. Pradeep Kumar’s works are generated from certain issues of spiritual + corporeal, individual + social and psychic + existential conflict or crisis on individuals under transcendental contemporary circumstances. Subject matter is immediacy rather than emotional intimacy or being in the subject is the experience of being in time. How subject and meaning differentiate according to the time and space is his search. To Pradeep, it is a transposition of subject. Subject is his material of art rather than objects. Joshy is an artist who has shown his proficiency through some spectacular works which have been accepted and recognized across the country.

Benny’s medium of paintings is acrylic on canvas. Through this visual expression he tries to communicate an autobiographical memory of my past. Mohandas is also popular in his field. His works have been nationnaly acclaimed also. He has done shows at ‘Kanoria Centre for Arts Exhibition’ , Jehangir Gallry Bombay, ‘Double Enders’ Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore, Contemporary Art Gallery at Ahmedabad, C M C Art Gallery, New Delhi etc.

Kochi Biennale finds support among artists (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/kochi/kochi-biennale-finds-support-among-artists-069)
With the controversy over Kochi–Muziris Biennale slated for this year end escalating and the government refusing to provide any assistance, many known contemporary artists of the state have come out in support of the event. It will help develop Kochi as a major international art centre, say several artists. The controversy is unfortunate and unnecessary, which will only help spoil the prospects of Kochi emerge in the international art circuit, they add.

“The event will certainly be a turning point not only for Kochi art but for the entire national art circuit. Like other major art centres, Kochi will get a space on the international art map,” says renowned artist Rajan M. Krishnan. “The event will introduce contemporary international visual art practices to the local artists. The practising and emerging artists can immensely benefit from the show,” he adds.

There have been charges of financial misappropriation. And, Rajan says it is the responsibility of the Biennale Foundation to make the fund utilisation transparent. “They should come clear on the alleged misappropriation in fund utilisation.” Noted artist T. Rathi Devi said some lobbies with vested interests are behind the controversy and do not want the event to happen here. “Allegations over fund misappropriation are baseless. The Biennale Foundation had already submitted all details of fund utilisation to the government.”

Terming the controversy as ‘unnecessary and fabricated’, another renowned artist K. Raghunathan, said the disputes over the alleged misappropriation of funds were due to the lack of awareness on the huge investment needed for conducting such a mega event. “Bringing the original works of renowned international artists for the show involves huge expense,” he said. Organisers Riyas Komu and Bose Krishnamachari are well experienced in conducting major international art shows, he added.

Artistically dramatic assault (http://thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2783142.ece)

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A work from the show 'Art Assault' on at Hallegua art Gallery, Jew Town, Kochi.

Three artists and three varied sensibilities come together to form a stirring show

The multi-spaces of Hallegua D Art Contemporain art gallery in Jew Town looks amply filled with varied works of three artists – Col. Suresan V.P., Nandan V. P. and Sivasankar.

Except for Nandan, who is an active art director in Bollywood, the other two have used the brush as a tool to comment strongly. It is art activism on their canvas and the show is aptly called ‘Art Assault'.

Eye-catching

Col. Suresan wields the brush to paint socially relevant issues like Mullaperiyar in the work, ‘Drowning'. An abstract he creates the imaginary swell through bold blotches of colour. It is an eye catching work.

His brother Nandan takes the viewers on a Buddha trail, while Sivasankar seems to lambast the present world situation through succinct stringent strokes. All three tell their stories in dramatic, interesting ways, both thematically and in style.

Being a former army man, Col. Suresan's patriotic zeal comes through clearly in his works. For him the nation comes first, as it should for everybody he believes. In a poignant work he paints blood on crushed Gandhi spectacles, as legs walk away from them after the misdeed.

It is a pointer to a generation moving away from Gandhian ideals. In ‘What Next' he takes you through the evolution of man from the jungle age to the cyber age.

What does the future hold he questions? ‘Remove your shoes', is a heart rending work of irony where a lame man sits minding over shoes left behind by people entering a holy precinct.

The loss of identities is the theme in a work where urbanisation has blurred individualism and society is an indistinguishable herd. But if one feels that the artist sees just gloom and doom it's not so. Happy hope surfaces in ‘Tunnel of Hope', as a group of people walk in a dark tunnel towards light budding at the end. Suresan likes to title his works and convey unambiguously his line of thought.

He uses rollers skilfully to create a marble wash effect. This he says is his trademark. He also uses the palette knife to dramatic effect.

‘The Sliced Life', ‘Last rites of the Earth'- with its disturbed background, ‘Pilgrimage' with pilgrims being drawn towards their spiritual quest unconsciously, ‘Journey towards Eternity', a soothing work about human life, ‘Neros of the New Age' is about the blinkered world of geeks while the world burns with problems, Thirst is about the commercialisation of water. As people queue for water at street taps, a kiosk happily sells bottles of it.

Tumultous canvas

The common idiom that threads Nandan's works is the Enlightened One - Buddha. All the works, except one, have his serene calm face, almost a salve to the tumult in the canvases of the other two artists. A contrasted band depicting in detail stories from the life and times of Buddha is another constant in his works.

But the catch in these apparently tranquil works is the expressionless face of Buddha. He is neither sad nor happy but indifferent to the state in which his people have placed themselves.

Sivasankar's painting style is unique. He makes small dashes, thick, thin, bold, broad, narrow ones and creates a mosaic that gives stirring movement. In a work where a man is carrying a burden, ballooning from his bent shoulders, he says wittily, ‘that's my wife'.

Through the maze of colour cubes is a hidden face. Hidden faces appear stealthily in all his large canvases. A work that he is doing currently at the gallery is political.

A dead Karl Marx is surrounded by an ideology that's withered away. The artist does not feel let down but on the contrary says the ideology was wanting because it kills individualism and sidetracks spiritualism.

A self-taught artist Sivasankar recollects childhood images like, a dirty moss ridden wall to be a source of inspiration. In a work that is the artist's version of apocalypse he paints human beings moving to a safer haven, to another planet, leaving behind mute animals. The artist says he chooses to stay behind and tell the world about their plight. An artist must talk for the meek, he believes.

Guilt, even shame, troubles the viewer. But it also fires an incentive to the viewers to be the change. In that the asrtists have been highly successful.

As all works are large they are priced at Rs.25, 000 upwards and the show is on till the end of the month.

Myriad hues of creativity (http://thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2785422.ece)

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Eclectic hues, art show at Durbar Hall gallery, Kochi

The question, ‘why art?', keeps haunting you as you go from one work to another at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery. ‘Eclectic Hues', an exhibition got up by Kalarang and Art Mantram, is on there. Twenty six artists are showing 58 works. So you have 26 styles. No, more than that as some artists, who have more than two works, have attempted different styles. For the general public, who may not be scrutinising, who does what better, it's a rich experience.

Different moods

Some plainly please you, others turn you off, a few make you think, laugh, wonder and some disturb you no end. You walk past some because they evoke no feelings whatsoever, either the message is not clear, clothed in undecipherable pictorial vocabulary or simply because they don't evoke any interest.

When viewing a work, should the artist be around to help you understand the work? What's a painting, photo or a sculpture worth, if the viewer does not understand it and the artist has to explain it to you? On the other hand if a viewer does not understand a work, is he/she unintelligent? Does snobbery exist somewhere in the scene? Something about the Emperor and his clothes or non-clothes comes to mind. All these questions or doubts have more than one answer or have no answers. (Very much like some works of art!)

For instance,V. B. Venu, who has moved away from his earlier style, has put up a few water colours, small works which express divergent views. In one, masks hung on a balloon-stand and masks flying off, and two figures, speak much. But speak what? It could be that all human beings have masks on when they meet in public, that you never know what people are deep inside them, that the world is full of people with masks or it could even have political overtones. But Venu is not at hand to explain, just as Manash Ranjan Jena's work too, which has a pretty girl, with deep set eyes and six other heads by the side, with red ribbons flying from her hair, a sword in hand and plenty of patterns adorning the body and attire. But the whole impresses.

This situation gives the viewer a certain freedom to interpret the works and revel in it? I did revel in my own interpretation, as perhaps many others did.

The abstracts give you so much scope to imagine a whole new world out there and the mysteries on the canvas prod your grey cells to conjure up heavenly landscapes or the depths of hell. Contemporary issues that cry for attention fill frames and they do stir your conscience. The rawness of JMS Mani's works stay long in the mind.

Seasoned artists

Veterans Namboodiri, S. G. Vasudev, J.M.S. Mani, C. N. Karunakaran, Yusuf Arakkal and N. K. P. Muthu Koya being among the artists, give the show a ‘must see' tag. Akkitham Vasudevan, who heads the department of painting in the Mecca of art, MS University, Baroda, has hazy, romantic deer in urban locales. Anuradha Nalapat, Radhika Varma, Vinod Banaik from Assam and Jija Madhavan Harisingh are the four who represent their gender.

Of them, Jija (she was an IPS officer) is associated with Art Mantra in Bengaluru and is doing her bit to enhance the lives of artists by getting medical insurance cover for them.

Shaji Punchathu, a Delhi-based Malayali artist, is associated with Kalarang.

His work is also here along with Delhi based artists from Kerala like Madhu V. Homegrown artists T. Kaladharan, G. Rajendran, A. S. Sajit, R. Babu, Santhosh Ashramam, Suresh Kuthuparambu, Sumesh Kamballur, Saju Thuruthil, Bahuleyan C. B. are among the 26.

The Bengaluru-based artists, Mukund Kumar and Narendra Raghunath are showing too.

Performance art

Narendra is into performance art installation and is drumming up support for his movement in relation with the visual culture. Narendra and his friend sat, wrapped up fully in white cloth, as a ‘deliberate elimination of ‘visibility' of the performer's body, at Faculty of Arts and Humanities, CEPT University, Ahmedabad.

‘Eclectic Hues' is on till January 11. Get your fill of art.

Life through paintings and paperworks (http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2792954.ece)
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Work of N N Mohandas at David Hall Art Gallery

Their reflections on life, memories and hopes, happiness and sorrows are all there, at David Hall, Fort Kochi, in colours bright and dull, on canvas and paper. The quartet, who are showing their works are N.N.Mohandas, K.P.Pradeep Kumar, Joshy T.C. and Benny K.A. Of the 21 works in the show called ‘Paintings and Paperworks', 12 are oil paintings of Mohandas, both big and small.

The middle aged Mohandas, who has gone through several artistic phases, strikes one as different from the crowd. He does not resort to bombastic explanations about his work, or seek to portray ‘in vogue' views, that he does not sincerely hold. “When people say they want to see my paintings, then I am a success. Otherwise, it's my fault if people do not want to see them. Children always understand the language of pictures. They enjoy what I paint, and I am happy,” says the maverick, most of whose works exhibited here are in pastel shades, symbolic of the man, never loud.

The frames carry a street, park or a wayside cafeteria, always with people sitting in different postures. It could be either leisure or laziness, but the mood of the people, abstract forms, sitting on the benches or chairs is far from stressed out, so that the easy going ambience is infectious and seeps into the viewer.

Veterans' contributions

Mohandas says that artists of the earlier generation like K.C.S. Panikkar and Ramkinkar Baij did so much for fellow artists and opened so many doors to them.

“In Baroda, where I studied, we were allowed to grow as we wanted. Nobody forced anything on us. We were just guided by our teachers.” Art has moved on, but Mohandas is of the view that a painting is much more than an investment. But often it's factors other than artistic that prod people to buy works of art. Snob value counts much. The name, the signature is what sells after a point, not the work. There are artists and artists. The chasm between the haves and the have nots among them is widening, just as in the larger global scene.

All these realities make many works at any show pictures of sadness, of frustration and doubt. There are very few ‘happy' paintings. In K.P.Pradeep kumar's huge green canvas, in the centre of the gallery, women in orderly rows and an equal number of umbrellas over them dominate, speaks of spiritual crisis, says the artist. Titled transfiguration, the umbrella is a recurring motif in all five of his works here. Four works, in this series, are circular, pastels on rice paper and feature a prominent motherly figure, or a younger woman, on a tight rope, with snakes somewhere in the frame, the threatening JCB, et al. There are men, at work on grinding mortars, all within the circle, almost like a celebratory flower carpet, but portraying stark doubts. Pitted amongst unfamiliar urban surroundings and manners, the rural soul seeks to go back to the roots. The angst comes through in the drawings.

Joshy T.C has two acrylics which portray the December sky above and the Xmas stars below. Solitude is effected through the lack of human figures and the all pervading darkness.

Autobiographical works

Benny K.A, who works with ‘Uravu' in Wayanad, has put up two untitled works which are autobiographical, he says. The use of space and airspace strikes you. A world where roads, people, buildings etc go unconventionally haywire. A big green cricket out of proportion with the rest, sits in one corner of the frame. I would love to believe that the artist is trying to tell the world about the disproportionate space that we give for the game of cricket in our lives, wasting umpteen man hours in the process, contributing nothing to the lives of fellow beings. All the four artists have exhibited in and outside the State several times, both solo shows and groups. Their works will hang on the David Hall walls till January 24.

‘Expressions 2012′ at Le Meridian (http://kochivibe.com/expressions-2012-at-le-meridian/)


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Art and artists have always been cheered and applauded in our city. We have made sure that artistic talents are welcomed with open-arms. And now, we bring some good news to art-lovers in the city. The art camp happening at Le Meridian will not fail to enlighten you. ‘Expressions 2012’ is all about beauty from the canvas. The Art Corridor arts camp makes sure the art-lover in you is blissful when you watch these paintings of more than 10 artists.

You can witness artists from all over the country bring life to canvas through their creative touch. The art camp will be from the 7th – 14th January 2012. You can see a blend of colors and shades put across in the most creative manner. Beauty in art-forms never fail to make us happy. Whatever your mood is, these art-works can help you elate your mood.

Make sure you do not miss this one. You can drop in anytime at Le Meridian art gallery between 10 a.m and 6. 00 p.m. The paintings are waiting for you at Le Meridian Foyer. Don’t miss this one, art-lovers in Kochi!

Strength of a woman (http://thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2792951.ece)


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Painting exhibition at Indian Art Gallery in the city

Panthirukulam, a group of 12 artists, has brought out the many faces of a woman at an exhibition, ‘Saktheyam', at the Indian Art Gallery

A woman can be a creator and destroyer at the same time. She can be calm and violent as a storm, she can be mother, the ultimate protector—compassionate, loving and all enduring. A group of 12 artists, which calls itself Panthirukulam, has brought out the many faces of a woman through very different brush strokes at an exhibition, ‘Saktheyam', at the Indian Art Gallery.

Nothing escapes the artist's eye. Right from the women of the epics to the ordinary woman of today, the struggle a woman goes through to assert her identity has been portrayed.

Balakrishnan Kadiroor uses a potent combination of red and orange to bring out the maelstrom of emotions a woman experiences during pregnancy.

As new life takes shape in her womb, she celebrates the beauty of life, her hair spread out in thick ochre lines. The artist does justice to the grandiose of the Mahabharatha, with a flourish of bold acrylic hues on canvas. Kunti's unwavering devotion to the sun God and the birth of the valiant Karna is the inspiration behind the work.

History and reality merge in Benny Cherai's work. While Kerala's folklore is brimming with tales of courageous women such as Unniyarcha, it hangs its head in utter shame and helplessness as crimes against women continue. The fate of Sowmya, a young girl who was attacked and killed while she was travelling on a train, is juxtaposed against the power of women from history possessed.

Panthirukulam was formed one-and-a-half years ago and it has conducted three exhibitions. “We are from diverse backgrounds and have very different styles. It's an enriching experience as we share our ideas and there is a feeling of oneness. We also conduct camps every month,” says Sasi K. Warrier, the curator and owner of Indian Art Gallery.

Panthirukulam had also conducted an exhibition as a tribute to artist M.F. Husain. The group's next project, titled Varshachitra, is on the varied expressions of Malayalam months. “The collection has 144 paintings and it would showcase the different styles of the artists,” he says.

Draupadi

Warrier's oil on canvas represents Draupadi's dilemma. The Pandavas and Kauravas metamorphose into chess pieces as Draupadi sits in the centre, absorbed in prayer. Warrier, who specialises in murals, says he has tried a different style in the painting.

While most themes have been drawn from the Mahabharatha, artists' interpretations of Goddesses and real women too are part of the collection. Seemon Joseph's white and blue acrylic on textured canvas reflects the pain of homeless children who find solace in Mother Teresa's arms. Though the Mother's face is not detailed, the aura painted in solemn shades depicts her saintliness.

Goddess Kali, too, looks her terrifying self flaunting her 18 arms in Dinesh Shenoy's painting. She revels in her destructive power and the bright yellow backdrop enhances the fiery intensity of her rage.

An angel

Contemporary art can baffle as much as it can delight. Lines, colours and forms sometimes blend, making it difficult to understand at first glance. Each time one looks at it, the painting would seem to reveal something new. Ajith Kumar's work has a naked form of a woman, whose hair extends behind her, seamlessly merging with a large black cloud. She has a pair of scissors in her hand with which she would cut her umblical cord. Sajith Puthukkalavattom's work depicts an angel, demure with pretty wings, but sitting on a swing. Women, despite having the freedom to be themselves, sometimes forget to use it, he seems to convey.

The exhibition will be on till January 16.

Kochi to honour literary legend (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/article2795397.ece)
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Writer M.K Sanoo, who won the Kendra Sahithya Academy Award for best biography

The city is honouring one of its most illustrious sons. In a way, it is the most natural thing to do, as there will be at least one students of M.K. Sanoo in every crowd that gathers in the city.

As a tribute, students and friends of Sanoo Master, as he is affectionately called, have formed a cultural collective called M.K. Sanoo Foundation. A meeting of the founder members of this group was held at Chavara Cultural Centre and it elected literary critic M. Thomas Mathew as chairman, Sarah Joseph and K. Balachandran as vice-chairpersons; John Paul as general secretary; Father Roby Kannanchira and P.S. Haneef as secretaries; and P.J. Cheriyan as treasurer.

Father Paul Thalekkat, Sheeba Ameer, K.M. Roy, K.G. Poulose, T.M. Abraham, T. Kaladharan, George Mathew and Emson Moorkancheril were elected as members.

As a first step, the foundation will publish two books. The first one will be titled ‘Ente Bhasha; Ente Madhyamam' (My Language; My Medium) and bring together leading personalities in social and cultural realms.

The second book will be titled ‘Nammude Sanoo Mash' and will be a collection of articles by persons from different walks of life about their association with the teacher.

After this, the foundation will take up the publication of ‘Paschatya Sahitya Darsanam' (Western Literary Philosophy), which Prof. Sanoo had started writing decades ago.

The foundation will also take the initiative to organise M.K. Sanoo Endowment Lecture series featuring national and international scholars, starting with October 27 when Prof. Sanoo will turn 84. Lectures will be held annually under this series.

An award, named ‘Guruprasada Puraskaram' will be given to three persons selected for their professional excellence.

Besides all these, the foundation will organise workshops on translation and oratory. Those interested in associating with the foundation can get in touch with M.K. Sanoo Foundation, Chavara Cultural Centre, Karikkamuri, Kochi 682 011 at 4070250 or 98460 32922 or sanufoundation@gmail.com, said Prof. Mathew.

Meanwhile, the Changampuzha Cultural Centre, Smrutidhara, Artist P.J. Cherian Foundation, Chavara Cultural Centre and Orthic Creative Centre will jointly organise a cultural event to honour Prof. Sanoo.

Graceful feats of artistry (http://www.thehindu.com/arts/dance/article2795442.ece)


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Gopika Varma's Mohiniyattam performance at the Fifth National Sreesankara Dance and Music Festival, Kalady.


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Priyadarshini Govind performing Bharatanatyam at the Fifth National Sreesankara Dance and Music Festival, Kalady.

The Fifth National Sreesankara Dance and Music Festival featured danseuses Manju Barggavee, Gopika Varma and Priyadarshini Govind who enchanted the audience with their grace and skill.

As part of the Fifth National Sreesankara Dance and Music Festival, illustrious artistes such as Manju Barggavee, Gopika Varma and Priyadarshini Govind along with numerous youngsters participated in a fete at Kalady, the birth place of Adi Sankaracharya.

The five-day programme began with a novel presentation of ‘Srikrishnacharitam' – a natyabhashyam by senior danseuses of the Sree Sankara School of Dance, Kalady. The composition and choreography of the mega show were by C.P.Unnikrishnan.

On the second day of the fete, Manju Barggavee, actor and danseuse, danced her way into the hearts of rasikas, right from her first presentation of a koutvam. ‘Jaganandakaraka' (in Natta, Roopaka tala), a composition by Tyagaraja, saw her performing hasta and padavinyasams with amazing finesse. The much-sought-after ‘Narayanatheertha Tarangam' followed.

United expressions in creativity (http://www.thehindu.com/arts/art/article2796009.ece)


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AT THE ATELIER Artists work on their paintings at ’Expressions 2012,’ an art camp at Hotel Le Meridien Photo:

Expressions 2012', an art camp on at Le Meridien, offers great scope for an artistic exchange of ideas


Away from the solitude of a studio an artist camp offers varied, on-the-spot inspirations. That's what happened to Dhara Mehrotra, a Delhi based artist, one of the 12 participating in the ongoing camp, ‘Expressions 2012', at Hotel Le Meridien.

A serrated fern in the green precincts of the hotel is her subject. Besides that the “progressive, contemporary” style of architecture and decor of the hotel too is a big source of ideas. Impressed by that and in sync with the ambience she carries forward the feel of the venue on to her canvas.

She is consumed by the scenic beauty of Kerala too. “It truly is God's Own Country,” she gushes. Being part of the collaborative camp where she can exchange ideas and learn, unlearn and evolve is her reason for being a part of this.

The camp is being held under the aegis of Palette People and Hotel Le Meridien.

Inspired work

Falguni Bhatt from Kolkata is consumed by spaces and architecture. The heritage sites of old Cochin and the view from her hotel window at Le Meridien have inspired her to blend the two in spatial variations. Her two works, one in progress, catches beautifully her aesthetically fired mind. She uses print and paint on her canvas. The print on her kurta, her hotel chair, a Baroda palace mirror, a window, Jew Street warrens all flow beautifully in her work.

Bangalore-based Prathapan tackles the dual theme of migration and water in his work. He paints the boats called ‘parush', used by Oriya and Bengali boat people. They live and die by the boat and belong to no state. The round boats drying in the sun, against coconut trees, is an appealing geometric work in circles and lines.

Wilfred K.P. paints different scenes from nature, something that inspires continually. Bindhi Rajgopal's two works deal with rabid urbanisation that's consuming nature and hence drawing its wrath with calamities like tsunamis. Besides the 2012 apocalyptic fear rules because of this insensitive treatment towards nature.

Devadas K. A. from Ernakulam uses folk, surrealism, love, nature and divinity in his work, called ‘Living Souls'.

Many themes

Tribal themes inspire K.G. Babu from Thrissur. He says that tribes live in harmony with nature. “They don't destroy anything unlike modern man who mauls nature seamlessly, even love! Bleeding papayas in a work by Anil P.G. is a strong comment on the import of fruits to the extent that one does not eat locally grown fruits. In another work titled ‘Pets' he is inspired by the beauty of a woman. Francis Xavier who worked for a month in Wayanad before coming to the camp carries the inspirations form the hilly regions. A medicinal plant “chulli” is painted in an embossed texture and in beautiful brown, tan shades. Kajal Charankatt speaks with the maturity of an artist much ahead of her young years. She draws on a piece of paper and explains the concept of earth, “samsar” or world and spirituality in three layers. Of how the lotus rises from the mud, through the waters of the world and blooms above the filth. The world is totally materialistic and the artist should rise above that she says. Her canvas is in eye-catching shades of green. “Those white flowers will bloom into lotuses,” she says about her work in progress. Kajal walks to the end of the open verandah where the camp is being held, looks far into the spaces beyond, takes in a deep breath and returns to her work. Most artists take these leisure breaks, recharge themselves with the surrounding beauty and get back to work. A first time entrant to the art world, Mahesh Arvind, revenue analyst with the hotel too is a part of this wonderful exchange. He joined in after coming trumps in a competition held by the hotel for such a selection.

Cyril P. Jacob, curator, Art Corridor, says that this joint initiative gives a big impetus to the artists. The daily progress of their works is relayed to the 300 properties of the hotel. He plans an Investor's dinner by the end of next month, where art as an investment will be the subject, he says. Cyril, who has been keenly following the course of artists, and has been a member of Lalithakala Akademi twice says that there is a need for wider support and exposure of art.

‘Expressions 2012' goes a long way towards making that effort. The camp concludes in January 14.

PXjHTWPTv-o

The first official video release of Kochi Muziris Biennial Released. The video describes the massive changes made to Kochi's Historical Durbar Hall, renovated now an Art Gallery of International Standards.

^^

Seems like a reply to all the allegations, but Rs 3.5 crore is not a small amount either!

^^

Seems like a reply to all the allegations, but Rs 3.5 crore is not a small amount either!

Well, it seems, only those in Muziris Biennial foundation is corrupt, rest all Parushuthapunyalans.....

The issue is a mere unnessecary controvesry, raised by those dissatisfied artists, who couldn't put their hands inside Chakkara Bharani.... And politicians took it over, as they found a stick to beat others....

Keeping controversies aside, we must remember, this equivalent to an Olympics in Art and surely will raise the bar of our creative offerings and promote Kochi as hub of Artistic creativity.... Its those morons, who want no development and nuture their personal egos, raking up these controversies.

A series of 2 or 3 successful Biennials, we can even think of setting up a Louvre kind museum in Muziris to showcase our country's 6000 years old artistic heritage....

A different Krishna (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/hyderabad/different-krishna-754)
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Kochi is eagerly waiting for actor and danseuse Shobana’s performance on Krishna in Kochi and the artiste herself is just as excited.

“Bharatanatyam is always about God, but being a performer, it is storytelling that is more important than the religious aspect. Krishna is an international icon. I took him because there were a lot of questions about him in my mind. These questions formed over the years while listening to bhajans, Geetha Govindam or katha-prasangams. There is the butter-and-clothes stealing Krishna and then there is the sensual aspect. It is a challenge for any artiste to show some other aspect. So this performance is the product of my trying to write a story with different aspects in mind,” she says.

One of the aspects she tries to throw light on is that of Krishna as a negotiator. “Most people comment on how beautiful it is and how colourful the costumes are. But I don’t know how far people understand the nuances. For instance, I have touched upon how Krishna is a lover of peace throughout Mahabharata. When he comes to negotiate with the Kauravas, people expect him to come with his entire army and other regalia. But he arrives without any of that, accompanied only by Garuda.”

Is her style puritan or experimental? “Innovation is tomorrow’s tradition. It is no longer in fashion to be traditional. Tradition is what your teachers taught you. If you ask about this particular performance, it is not a classical dance but can be called a classic,” she says. On rumours of her not acting in Malayalam films she says, “When did I say I will not act in Malayalam films?”

This must be music to the ears of filmmakers as well as film lovers in Kerala who have missed her since the early 90s when she started concentrating on dance, accepting only one film per year or none at all.

“But the TV channels have been playing my films all the time,” she says with a laugh. Her favourites? “Yathra, Thenmavin Kombathu and that Jayaram film…” Is Manichithrathazhu, in which she played a schizophrenic caught between the past and present and won the national award, not on the list? “Unlike dance, films are collaborative efforts. I was young while Pachikka (director Fazil) and others perhaps knew they were making a classic. Mohan Lal and Suresh Gopi supported me well.”

The actress who has her roots in Thiruvananthapuram dispels the impression that she is in some kind of self-imposed exile in Chennai. “You make it sound as though I am living in America. I come to Kerala four times a year for my performances. My relatives keep visiting me and I visit them too. I have Malayalis among the staff here (in her dance school) and I remain a Malayali in mind and spirit,” says the artiste who recently completed working on a Tamil film, Poda Podi, where she plays, what else, a dancer.

Museum of Kerala History (http://artandkeralahistory.org/)

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Source: Manorama

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When did I say I will not act in Malayalam?” asks Shobana, days before she is to perform her two-and-a-half hour performance on Krishna at JTPac in Kochi.

That must be music to the ears of filmmakers as well as film lovers in Kerala who have been missing her since the early 90s when she started concentrating on dance, accepting only one film per year or none at all.

“But the TV channels have been playing my films all the time,” she says, with a laugh.

Her favourites? “Yathra, Thenmavin Kombathu and that Jayaram film…” Is I>Manichithrathazhu, in which she played a schizophrenic caught between the past and present and won the national award, not in the list?

“Unlike dance, films are a collaborative effort. I was young while Pachikka (director Fazil) and others perhaps knew they were making a classic. Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi supported me well.”

The actress, who has her roots in Thiruvananthapuram dispels the impression that she is in some kind of a self-imposed exile in Chennai.

“You make it sound as though I am living in America. I come to Kerala four times a year for my performances. My relatives keep visiting me and I visit them too. I have Malayalis among the staff here (in her dance school) and I remain a Malayali in mind and spirit.”

She recently completed her work in a Tamil film Poda Podi where she plays, what else, a dancer.

She is excited as she talks about the forthcoming show in Kochi.

“Bharatanatyam is always about God but being a performer, it is story telling that is more important than the religious aspect. Krishna is an international icon. I took him because there were a lot of questions about him in my mind. These questions formed over the years while listening to the bhajans, Geetha Govindam or kathaprasangams. There is the butter and clothes stealing Krishna and then there is the sensual aspect. So, this performance is the product of my attempt to write a story with different aspects in mind.”

One of the aspects she tries to throw light on is that of Krishna as a negotiator. “Most people comment on how beautiful it is and how colourful the costumes are. But I don’t know how far people understand the nuances.

For instance, I have touched upon how Krishna is a lover of peace throughout Mahabharata. When he comes to negotiate with the Kauravas, people expect him to come with his entire army and other regalia. But he arrives without any of that, accompanied only by Garuda.

” The sound design of the show is by Resul Pookutty while the voice overs for the characters are by Surya, Shabana Azmi, Prabhu, Radhika, Konkona Sen and Nandita Das. Is her style puritan or experimental? “Innovation is tomorrow’s tradition.

It is no longer in fashion to be traditional. Tradition is what your teachers taught you. If you ask about this particular performance, it is not a classical dance but can be called a classic,” she signs off.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/kochi/tradition-out-fashion-says-shobana-778

Kochi’s Newest Art Exhibition at Mattanchery (http://kochivibe.com/tag/nalini-rajappan/)


Kochi has always welcomed artists with open-arms. Show us your beautiful creations, and we cheer out loud for you! This time, we have three women who have joined hands to bring forth a wonderful painting exhibition. The art exhibition that is happening at Halagua Art Gallery at Mattanchery showcases beautiful paintings of oil, mural and Tanjore! The art gallery is located at Jew Street, Mattanchery. Paintings of Lathika Vijayaraghavan, Nalini Rajappan, and Aparna Vivek are the talk of the town.

Aparna’s paintings are mostly with oil. She has made sure that the paintings are a class apart. Aparna’s paintings on Sri Budha have already caught attention amongst the visitors who throng the art gallery to check out the paintings. Even though the majority of paintings are done by Nalini Rajappan, you wouldn’t miss the art-works of the other two ladies. Nalini Rajappan, who did her studies from the Indian School of Art, has done Tanjore and Mural paintings.

Paintings of Lathika Vijayaraghavan do not fail to entertain you! Rajasthani women clad in their colorful apparels make a chunk of Lathika’s paintings. Lathika pursued her studies in paintings from Ernakulam Vimalalayam.

The exhibition will be on till the 23rd of January 2012.

The great Indian crafts bazaar (http://www.thehindu.com/arts/crafts/article2820374.ece)

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Mala Dhawan, founding trustee of A Hundred Hands

A Hundred Hands' is a collective which swears by everything hand-made. It's coming to David Hall with products made lovingly with the hands

If you are happy and you know and you really want to show, clap your hands (clap, clap), so goes a ditty. Well, sound a big clap for handmade products in this day and age of machines. ‘A Hundred Hands', a non- profit Bangalore based initiative is bringing ‘The Handmade Collective', to the city for the first time.

It will be held at David Hall from January 26 – 29, when a host of artisans from across the country will converge with their wares and also give live demonstration of the process behind the products.

Mala Dhawan, one of the founding trustees of ‘A Hundred Hands' is excited at bringing the bazaar to Kochi and hopes to involve local artisans in the coming years. She recounts how this venture began informally, in her small garden in Bangalore. She was a trustee with a farmer's collective and found them struggling to come to the city. “I thought of a bazaar in my garden.” The next year , a group from Kumaon, an initiative from Kundhapur and various artistes and farmers began approaching them.

Mala and her sister, Sonia continued to give the artistes a platform to showcase their wares and retail. They officially set up, ‘A Hundred Hands' in 2010.

Under that they have so far held two bazaars which have drawn crowds and appreciation. Their only criterion is that the product should be handmade.

“We encourage artistes to give it a contemporary edge,” says Mala who is an MBA and has worked in an ad company. Her marketing background helps as she negotiates with corporates on behalf of the artisans.

New look, age old style

‘A Hundred Hands' has 40 members right from the individual artistes to NGOs, who come from remote places in the hills to coastal villages, from States like MP, and Rajasthan. There are many urban artistes too.

There is a surfeit of Indian art and craft to the point that customers don't value the products and the work behind them, says Mala. “We help artistes impart a new look to the age old styles and give it a contemporary feel and effect. We sensitise the customers towards the creativity of the artistes.”

‘A Hundred Hands' is bringing Granny Gregs, a brand begun by Mala and her sister, where they have revived their grandmother's beeswax recipe. Using the formula they are making insect repellent, lip balms and customers can participate in the ‘Make your own balm' programme.

Artiste Varsha Rani of Prachi Silks is bringing Ahimsa and eri silk, a coarse product where the silk worm is not killed in the process. Kumbaya, an offshoot of a water conservation project, brings in trendy patchwork products in the form of bags, bedcovers etc. The livelihood project of Belaku Trust that makes handmade paper, do block printing and trendy embroideries will have their products on offer.

Kalam Carpets, a group of 120 weavers from Mirzapur will showcase their cotton and woollen rugs. Asad Hajeebhoy of Glasscrafters, a Bangalore based outfit that makes products from small recycled glass to Tiffany lamps is part of the collective. Samoolam , a livelihood project from Bihar will showcase crochet jewellery, “which is fun wear”, says Mala.

Gond artist Venkat Shyam will display his skills and Alessandra an Italian, is bringing in a range of kadhi and malke fabrics. Besides these there will be Hasechitra, tribal art of Karnataka and traditional paper cutting or Sanjhi art on display.

‘A Hundred Hands' also has a programme where crafters work with patients of the psychiatric department at NIMHANS helping inmates make “bum bags,” from old jeans in a buy-back arrangement. One of their members is an 80-year old whose finger puppets are moving off the shelves, giving her immense joy. “There is definitely a resurgence of people working with their hands,” says Mala who stresses that the whole idea behind the efforts is to bring back the whole concept of handmade, “bringing back a slow, simple and sensitive way of life.” And that of course deserves a big clap with our hands.

Sensual interpretations (http://www.thehindu.com/arts/art/article2820378.ece)

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A painting from Jayakumar Karunakaran's exhibition 'Erotic Nature'

The searing red of a nutmeg and a pointed leaf placed strategically symbolise the sheer beauty of sensual pleasure. The deep tones of green and black have been employed to create the intensity of the feeling, says artist Jayakumar Karunakaran, whose exhibition ‘Erotic Nature' is on at the Kerala Art Gallery.

In an entirely different take on eroticism and nature, Jayakumar tries to draw parallels between the two, using the everyday elements of nature to explore the complex realms of sexuality. ‘Nirvana', acrylic on canvas, is a powerful interpretation of carnal union. A coffee seed and a clove painted in fiery shades of red, orange and burnt brown. “The warmth and intimacy can be brought out only through a colour such as red. Brown, too, helps reinforce the sexual overtones,” he says.

The creative director of an advertising firm in Kochi, Jayakumar does not have much time to indulge in his artistic pursuits. However, it is also difficult as an artist to resist the perpetual desire to create something new. His hometown, Eroor in Tripunithura, has played a significant role in shaping his creative preferences, he says. Curated by his colleague and friend Joselin John, the ‘Erotic Nature' series contains his most recent works.

Nature is undoubtedly the muse, presenting itself in varying forms and ways. A tree in full bloom, for him, resembles a woman in her prime. ‘Ecstasy rooted in nature' is a vivid expression of this thought. The iridescent leaves of the tree painted against a golden yellow portray the youthful energy of the woman and the beauty of her physical self. He is “moved by nature” which constantly changes, giving something new each day.

The exhibition has seven of Jayakumar's works, of which only three are in the ‘Erotic Nature' series. Other works displayed include acrylic and watercolour. In ‘Gushing with Life', he depicts a bleeding watermelon, in a melange of red, yellow, green and orange. Another imposing work is ‘Thought bubbles in a feeling universe', an interesting pattern of concentric circles in fluorescent and bottle green. ‘Bahrain Dhow' is a seemingly simple work in watercolour depicting a boat in the high seas, its sails caught in the wind. The bluish-grey tones of the waves and the clouds merge.

The show is on till January 31.

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The street of life (http://thehindu.com/arts/art/article2831875.ece)

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WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS Santosh Rajendran

Santosh Rajendran raises the genre of street photography by capturing the ignored life on the streets in his ongoing show at Durbar Hall Art Gallery

It is a candid moment. A child's hand stretched out seeking alms. Her unwashed-for-days-hand seems to desperately seek sustenance from the camera, her eyes are a mix of curiosity and expectation. “It is not a pose,” says Santosh Rajendran who captured the moment. This photograph is a part of his exhibition of photographs ‘Let us all…' is on at Durbar Hall Art Gallery.

Street photography is a genre of photography which is spur of the moment, seeing a dramatic moment on the street and then freezing it. It is not about creating that perfect photograph rather it is about being able to recognize the decisive moment and then capturing it. Neither is it about fancy equipment, he used a basic Canon EOS 550 D camera. “For me photography is more a medium of creating awareness and communicating than just beautiful pictures,” says Santosh. Though most of the photographs on show are black and white, there are a few ‘beautiful' colour ones as well. He says a percentage of what he makes goes to charity. His visiting card says ‘Streetalight', which “is lighting up the street, positively to make a difference.”

The exhibition concludes on January 29.

A library's growth on reel (http://thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article2831461.ece)


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A documentary on the Ernakulam Public Library will be released on Sunday

A public library is one of the most enduring memorials in a community. And the 142-year-old Ernakulam Public Library is no different. Interestingly, the library functions as the foundation of the society's educational and cultural growth.

A 30-minute documentary on the Ernakulam Public Library, ‘Vayanayude Kaiyoppu,' the first on this institution, made by the students of Bhavan's Institute of Media Studies, Ernakulam, traces the origin, rich history and also takes a peek at the future plans of the library.

The English understood the importance of educating the ‘natives' and they started an elementary school. And close to this school they also set up a library. Libraries are not made but they grow. Gradually, the Ernakulam Public Library began to grow and books jostled for space inside this small building. Records available in the library reveal that the then Diwan called a meeting where a decision was taken to expand the library. The then head of education, A. F. Sealy was the first president.

Through reminiscences from senior members like Justice K. Sukumaran and novelist K. L. Mohana Varma, the documentary gives glimpses of the history, growth and milestones of the library. And simultaneously the film delineates the history and development of Kochi.

The library boasts of nearly two lakh books that includes books published decades ago and the latest releases. They have been arranged, subject-wise, in a built-up space of 7,000 sq.ft. spread over two floors. Books published in English, Malayalam, Tamil, Konkani, and Sanskrit are now available. The library has about 10,000 members from all walks of life.

The present secretary of the library, Ashok M. Cherian, reveals in the documentary the new projects and future plans. Formation of reading clubs with the assistance of residents' associations and delivery of books at home is one of the new initiatives.

Plans are afoot to modernise the library. This includes a full-fledged building complex on the 45 cents of the land owned by the library. Building an open-air stage is also on the anvil. The documentary is scripted by Ravi Kuttikad, edited and directed by N. B. Raghunath, music by Rajesh Cherthala and commentary by Ajini P. Koshy.

The documentary will be released at a function to be held at the library on January 29 at 5 p.m.

Art goes places: Metros to Tier-II (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/special-report/Art-goes-places-Metros-to-Tier-II/articleshow/11669924.cms)
When the fourth edition of the India Art Fair comes to an end on Sunday evening in Delhi, some new records would have been set, some broken, some overachieved and some not met at all. And then, the art world would plunge itself into a pool of analysis, debating what sold, what didn't, for how much and the future, of course. However, chances are that the buyers, most of whom prefer to remain anonymous, would be from the same band of approximately 200 individuals, corporate and institutions who patronize India's emerging art market.

That's a ridiculously small number for any market if it has to continue to grow at a good pace. And in a way, it also rings hollow the drone that surrounds the Indian art market. Experts have for long insisted on a broader base for the market, beyond the limited number of collectors present, mostly in Delhi and Mumbai. While that big change, absolutely necessary to take the fortunes of the Indian art to the next level, may still be a few years away, a small beginning has been made. This year's fair saw a new phenomenon: the rise of art galleries and buyers from Tier-II cities.

If you had not been taken in by the big-ticket signatures of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Damien Hirst or our very own M F Husain, S H Raza, Subodh Gupta and Pakistan's Rashid Rana, you couldn't have missed the presence of Tier-II India at this haute affair.

This year, galleries from new art centres - Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kochi and Jaipur - are competing for space with the biggies, not just from India but also from the world art capitals like London, Paris and New York. Quite a few of them such as Archer Art Gallery from Ahmedabad and Gallery OED (Open Eyed Dreams) from Kochi are on their repeat outing to the fair, while others like Kalakriti and Shrishti art galleries from Hyderabad are here for the first time.

"Newer and younger collectors, especially those buying art for the first time, don't hit straight for the top artists like Husain or Raza because of the prohibitive prices. They want to begin at lower price points and that's where galleries like mine come in to help initiate them into the world of buying art," says Manan Relia of the Archer Art Gallery. He adds that this group of new buyers is evenly spread across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Surat, Ahmedabad and other Tier-II cities. He hopes that this new group would eventually graduate to buying topnotch art. "I get many queries for serigraphs that I sell from Pune," he adds.

Hyderabad is another city where the number of rich with disposable income has grown substantially in the past couple of decades, and the new rich of the city are turning to art in a big way. They too want good and expensive paintings on their walls. Remani Nambiar, whose Hyderabad gallery Shrishti has turned 10 this year, says that though she has clients in Delhi, Mumbai and overseas, locals too are emerging as buyers. "Many people in Hyderabad are setting up new homes and come to us to fill their blank walls," says Nambiar.

For Dilip Narayanan of OED Gallery, Kochi, there is a lot to look forward to in the emerging markets of south India. "Besides overseas buyers, I cater to a big demand from corporates in Kochi. We sell well in Chennai too. Rimzon is popular with buyers in Thiruvananthapuram while Rajan Krishnan is sought after in Kochi," says Narayanan.

Participation at the art fair also helps galleries from Tier-II India get suitable exposure to the business of art by learning from the experiences of the big guys even as they remain rooted in their respective cities. And if the Indian art market does expand in the years to come, these galleries would stand to benefit as they are already ahead of the curve.

India’s first art biennale in Kochi on 12/12/12 (http://english.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?contentId=10921455&tabId=1&channelId=-1073865030&programId=1080132912)
The Indian art scene has taken yet another global leap with the Kochi-Muziris Biennale - the country's first official art biennale - to begin Dec 12 this year.

The prophetic date (12.12.12), throwing doomsday predictions to the wind, was announced by the Kochi Biennale Foundation - a private non-profit organisation - here late Saturday. The art gala will continue for three months.

"The biennale is likely to host 80 artists with nearly 50 percent foreign artists, site-specific works and a sustained education programme in the three months," said Michelangelo Bendandi, director of the communications of the biennale.

"It will be spread across Fort Kochi and Kochi town," he added.

The biennale, styled on the Venice biennale, will reclaim several old Jewish, pre-colonial, colonial and native warehouses in the old Fort Kochi area lying in disuse to turn them into modern gallery spaces for display.

It will combine regeneration of old heritage for sustainbale use with art, the organisers said.

The warehouse was used by ancient Jewish traders and native merchants in Kochi and the historical port city of Muziris (modern day Kodangallur) as spice warehouses.

"The Kochi Biennale Foundation has renovated the 150-year-old Kochi Durbar Hall to a state-of-the art climate controlled international-level gallery with sophisticated lighting," said Shwetal A. Patel, executive officer of the Kochi Biennale.

"In April, the Durbar Hall will host German modern artist Eberhard Havekost's exhibition 'Sightseeing Trip' in collaboration with Dresden State Art Collections. The exhibition will be a test for the gallery space," she added.

The biennale is in talks with international and Indian artists including Subodh Gupta, Kiran Subbaiah, Ranbir Kalekar, Shreyas Kale, Rohini Devasher, Surendran Nair, Pakistan's Bani Abidi, Indonesia's Fiona Tan, Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco, African artist Wangechi Mutu and Brazil's Ernesto Neto, said its co-curator and co-founder Bose Krishnamachari.

Patel said pioneering performance art researcher Roselee Goldberg is expected to anchor a module on performance art.

The challenge for the organisers of the biennale will be to transport fragile art works to Kochi, Patel said. Kochi is not connected to the rest of the world by air barring a handful of flights to the Middle East, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

"The Biennale Foundation is working with international transport companies to sort the bottlenecks in transporation," Bendandi said.

DC international book fair begins (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/DC-international-book-fair-begins/articleshow/11693969.cms)
The fourteenth DC international book fair (http://www.dcbookfair.com/php/showNews.php) and cultural fest was inaugurated on Monday by Pakistan- English writer Qaisra Shahraz at the Marine Drive. Minister of state K V Thomas presided over the function.

"Promoting literature is our main focus while conducting such programmes," said Jaison, marketing official at DC Books. Many stalwarts from the field of literature participated and interacted with the public on the inaugural day.

The book fair has dedicated a day focusing on children. Schoolchildren can take part in a story, poetry and composition writing competition 'Unnikale oru katha parayam' in both Malayalam and English on February 11 at 3pm.

Stalwarts like O N V Kurup, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, M K Sanu, Sugathakumari, M Mukundan, K Jayakumar and politicians like Benoy Viswam and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan will visit the fair. The book fair is conducted annually to present books by noted and aspiring writers in Kerala. Films from Tajikistan and Kenya will also be screened.

Kochi Muziris Biennale 2012

The virtual gallery of Durbar Hall is available on their website. Click on the below pic to check it. Its really cool.

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(http://www.kochimuzirisbiennale.org/DURBAR-HALL-VIRTUAL-TOUR/index.html)

Gandhi statue view from DH road

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cc: yentha

Saaz Aggarwal at David Hall, Fortkochi (http://kochivibe.com/saaz-aggarwal-at-david-hall-fortkochi/)

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David Hall, Kochi’s own classic art gallery, is coming up with a new venture. A book reading session and an evening with Saaz Aggarwal, author of ‘The Songbird on My Shoulder’ will happen on the 4th of February at 5:30 p.m. Saaz is a humor columnist, ghost writer, literary critic and corporate biographer.

‘The Songbird on my Shoulder’ is a collection of short spurts of thought, many of which have been printed before in mainstream Indian publications. What you get is a funny, thought-provoking, and sometimes poignant world-view of a Madam who lives in Pune, India – the Oxford of the East, the Home of the Shrewsbury Biscuit, and the road-accident fatality-and-brain-damage capital of the world.

This unorthodox mid-life memoir has a particularly revealing section towards the end in the simulated voices of characters such as Bridget Jones, Bill Bryson, Dave Barry, and one Batty Watsa whom you might recognize from somewhere.

Saaz Aggarwal is a humor columnist, ghost writer, literary critic, and corporate biographer. She is also known for her Bombay Clichés, quirky paintings of contemporary urban India using a traditional Indian folk style. Some of these will been display at the reading.

Make sure you are a part of this interactive session with Saaz Aggarwal.

Visual Arts seminar at St.Teresas from today (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/visual-arts-seminar-at-stteresas-from-today/226061-60-122.html)
A three-day national seminar on new approaches to visual arts will commence at St Teresa’s College from Wednesday.
Organised by the Malayalam department in association with Kerala Folklore Academy, the seminar will be inaugurated by veteran Mohiniyattam exponent Kalamandalam Kshemavathy at 9 am. Principal Sr Helan A P will preside over the function. C G Rajendra Babu will give the keynote address on the relevance of new approaches in visual arts. Experts in the the disciplines will present papers on dance, drama and cinema and further augment them through performances and discussions. Kalamandalam Kshemavathy is set to make it a vibrant start on Wednesday, with a dance choreographed to the the lines of activist-poetess Sugathakumari’s mellifluous creation, ‘Krishna Ni Enne Ariyille’.
The seminar is being viewed as not only a platform for enjoying art forms, but also as an opening to new vistas for research scholars.
The registration fee is `300, while for scholars, the it has been pegged at `150. For details, call K V Saleena at 9447845326 or Sisha S at 9633784243.

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The Muziris Tourism festival began on the 1st February at Paravoor, Ernakulam. This is the first celebration conducted prior to the inauguration of the Muziris heritage tourism project in April. V D Satheeshan, MLA detailed the variety of programs scheduled for the five day festival. Municipality Chairperson Vatsala Prasannakumar also attended the function.

A 1800sft venue, resembling a ship has been constructed for the festival. On the opening day, Minister A P Anilkumar inaugurated the cultural prossession organised as part of the festival. The prossession ended at the Paravoor Government High School.

Cultural programs will be conducted from 5.30 p.m. at the main venue every day. Mattannoor Shankaran Kutty, Rimi Tomy, Vivekanandan and Pradeep Babu are among the artists who will be performing.

A seminar on the subject ‘Muziris and the Historical Heritage’ will be conducted on the 4th February, which is to be inaugurated by eminent historian M G S Narayanan. A pet show, flower show and food festival are also being organised as part of the festival. Celebrities including Mammootty, K J Yesudas, Kavya Madhavan along with ministers of the central and state governments and other culturally eminent personalities will participate in the shows. The town is all set to enthusiastically participate in the festival, with merchants decorating their shops with illuminations to welcome visitors.

Muziris is listed as one of the best 45 places to be visited by The New York Times. The Muziris project is one of the most ambitious archeological projects ever to be taken up in the state. Professionals from all around the world are working to recreate the ‘Muziris City’, a seaport which is believed to have existed before 14 AD. Archeologists after long years of excavation have identified the city which was destroyed in a tsunami or flood centuries ago.

http://www.yentha.com/news/view/1/muziris-tourism-festival-begins-

Emotions drenched in colours (http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2853819.ece)

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To see colours that you don't usually get to see at art exhibitions, go to Nanappa Gallery, Orthic Creative Centre, on Karakkamuri Crossroad. Vijayan Kannampilly, who is at home in two worlds, the word and paint, is showing 28 of his works there till February 6

London's largest Art Network Magazine Art Lyst listed Kochi Muziris into their showcase events:banana:

India’s First International Contemporary Art Festival

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Kochi‐Muziris Biennale 2012 to celebrate India's rich cultural heritage and to showcase the best in international contemporary art

This year, India is set to host its first ever festival of international contemporary visual arts, the Kochi‐Muziris Biennale – a not‐for-profit enterprise that will take place in Kerala within the city of Kochi and Muziris. Co‐founded by two of India’s leading artists, Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu, the Biennale hopes to celebrate India's rich cultural heritage as well as to showcase the best in international contemporary art, presenting artworks throughout Kochi and Muziris in existing exhibition sites, public spaces, heritage buildings and other non‐traditional venues.

Kochi‐Muziris Biennale will be the largest contemporary public art event in the country, and is a first for India in terms of scale and ambition. To be held every other year, the project will showcase artwork created by some of the world’s best-known artists, both established and emerging. The exhibition will present a variety of mediums from film, installation, painting, sculpture, new media and performance art.

Alongside the exhibitions the Kochi Biennale Foundation will organise an extensive public programme of seminars, workshops and a comprehensive and far‐reaching educational programme. Its four aims in this respect are: to develop cultural and social awareness through education; to develop visual arts practices and theory in Kochi and India; to develop cultural tourism by attracting national and international visitors to the festival engaging with the local communities; and to become a catalyst for regeneration and urban development .

The official Declaration launch of the Biennale was held at Durbar Hall Ground, Kochi, on Thursday 17 February 2011, 6pm. The event was officially declared by the then Minister of Education and Culture Mr. M. A. Baby in the presence of ministers, senior government officials, senior artists, scholars, critics and the public. The launch was followed by a performance by the band Avial, and Panchari Melam by Padmashri Peruvanam Kuttan Marar, supported by 180 artists, in a live audio‐visual percussion concert.

http://www.artlyst.com/articles/indias-first-international-contemporary-art-festival

Glass Painting Show " Nirachillu "

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Sijuvijayan Ayushmishra presents a Glass Painting Show Nirachillu, will be held on 1-6 February 2012 at Durbar Hall Ground, Cochin.

High on design (http://thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2872395.ece)

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Sanskrithi School of Interior Design turns 12. To mark the occasion it is holding a painting exhibition put up by its students.

It is easy to miss Sanskrithi, School of Interior Design, in Ravipuram, so cruise slowly and you will find the banner announcing ‘Sadhana'. The exhibition of paintings by students, past and present, are on show at Sanskrithi. It is on till February 10.

The paintings of various dimensions and sensibilities adorn the walls of the gallery. A brightly lit room done in a warm shade of ochre welcomes the visitor. The artists are amateurs but that doesn't show. The artists, all students of interior design, have expressed their creativity in different ways and have used different forms. The paintings are not limited to the canvas, there is pottery, fabric and some on the spot caricaturing too. The media used are diverse – water colours, oil, mixed media, Fuji colour etc.

Jayaprakash Narayan G. (JP) director of Sanskrithi elaborates, “The School completes 12 years this year and we thought it would be a good idea to celebrate the years gone by. And it just happened that we got 12 students to contribute.” Turning 12 is just one aspect of the show; it also has a larger purpose – creating awareness about global warming. In keeping with the theme, most of the paintings draw inspiration from the colours and forms of nature.

Besides JP's works, the other budding artists whose works are on show include Devika Ashok, Malini Ashok, Harshina Rasheed, Jaya Bhatia, Pratheeksha Prasad, Rabeka Rechana Paul, Rose Mary Hormise, Arun V.K., Arshad K., C. D. Dileep and A. Hariharan.

Dileep teaches mural paintings at Sanskrithi, while Devika and Malini are students of mural paintings. Dileep and Hariharan's murals are on show. While some of the murals stick to the traditional style, there is a modern interpretation of ‘Ardhanareeshwara'. Rebecca, an architecture student, is the youngest artist. Jaya Bhatia's mixed media paintings and pottery are on show. Jaya, who finished her interior design course last year, is a self-taught artist. She uses mixed media for her paintings and her pottery is quirky. For instance there is a long necked terracotta pot worked in such a way that it appears to sport a corset.

Arun's, a freelance interior designer, water colour paintings are a delight to look at, the fluidity of his brush and his keen eye for detail add to the pleasure. Arshad's miniature is relevant to the times and therefore talks about Mullaperiyar.

Prateeksha and Harshina are students of architecture, Rose Mary works for an interior design firm. Going by the quality of works and artistry it is difficult to tell that most of them are novices as far an art show goes. JP's works and a crayon drawing by his son, Keshav, are also on show. JP's works are minimalist (in terms of colours) paintings that show snapshots of sights in Kochi and Mattancherry.

As part of the show, films on ‘Environment Protection' (by Aranyam, Bangalore) will be screened at 11 a.m. ‘Wild Dog Diaries' and ‘Concert for India's Environment' are scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

Anoli Perera ' Comfort Zones '

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Anoli Perera Comfort Zones is an exhibition of paintings and sculptures to be held at Kashi Art Gallery from 12 February to 10 March 2012.

Comfort Zones will showcase exhibits portrayed by artist Anoli Perera. Anoli Perera was born in Colombo and is a self taught artist, she is currently based in Colombo and works as a full time professional artist. She has been part of the wave of artists in the 1990s who have professed a new ideological position in the art production in relation to the contemporary art knowledge and social context in Sri Lanka. She has been trained as a stone carver in the USA and has had number of art exhibitions in Sri Lanka as well as internationally. Her art practice of over 15 years includes painting, sculpture, installations and photo-performances.

An artistic trilogy (http://thehindu.com/arts/art/article2875241.ece)


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Three artists are showcasing their works at David Hall, Fort Kochi, in a show simplistically called ‘Three Spaces'. Generally a group show has a curatorial common thread but here each space is markedly individualist in conceptualisation and execution and hence the effect is of a solo show of each artist.( Sunil Laal T.R,Sudipta Das from Assam,Nagapoornima from Hyderabad are the artists)

The show is on till February 12.

Societal angst (http://thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2872401.ece)

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Subtle shades have no place in Raji Pisharasiar's palette. She prefers strikingly bold colours. Fitting, one would think, going by the gravity of issues she deals with. ‘Mayavarnangal', an exhibition of paintings by Raji at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery, is a powerful take on a woman's life in today's society. Freedom, exploitation, education, materialism, pollution, all form part of her canvas.

The show is on till February 10.

‘The Wanted Land’ at David Hall, Fortkochi (http://kochivibe.com/the-wanted-land-at-david-hall-fortkochi/)


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David Hall in collaboration with the Dutch Embassy presents “The Wanted Land” a video installation by artist Renee Ridgeway. This is something art-lovers wouldn’t want to miss. David Hall has been hosting the best events, and this one would also be a class apart.

The event comprises of video installations that refer to the Hortus Malabaricus, its compiler Hendrik van Drakenstein and its contemporary usage. It also deals with the history and present day traces of Dutch colonization in Fort Cochin. Fort Kochi has been a bowl of cultures. Having hosted people from far-off lands, this place in the city of Ernakulam is the homeland to many people. From Jews to Anglo-Indians and more, we see an array of cultures here.

The event will be held on February 15th to the 22nd, 2012, at David Hall, Fort Cochin.

February 18th, 2012 : from 5p.m. to 8 p.m. Opening of the exhibition, public discussion and launch of the online community platform.

Mrs. Mariella van Miltenburg, Head of the Department of Political Affairs and Public Diplomacy of the Netherlands Embassy in New Delhi, will officially open the exhibition. Make sure that you take part be part of this event.

Different strokes (http://thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2899938.ece)

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Nine artists pay tribute to their teacher in a show, ‘Unity in Diversity'

Variety is certainly the highlight of the painting exhibition on at the Kerala Art Gallery. Nine artists, with their every different works, are paying a tribute to their teacher, Vijayan P. Sthanath. “We work in different media and the ideas and themes are never the same. But we decided to get together to honour our guru,” says R. Jayanth Kumar, one of the artists. The show has been aptly titled ‘Unity in Diversity'.

Eroor Biju's work, showing a bullock cart in slim ochre lines set against a dull grey background, is a take on the pace of life in the city. Sheffy Tattarath prefers cloth to canvas. Acrylic gives the cloth a velvety finish and the paint seems to dissolve into it, lending a special emotional quality to the painting. So, a scene from Christ's Last Supper appears poignant, and an image of an old man working on the field instantly connects with the viewer.

Among the 25 paintings, a majority are landscapes, in pleasing colours that soothe the tired eye. But Jayanth's works could make one stop and think. Two of his works explore religion. The 24 Arabic alphabet is an aesthetic impulse for him. The peculiar curve and the dot above bear a stark resemblance to the Islamic symbol of the crescent. “The painting is my way of connecting the two,” he says.

Sijimon S. is known as the ‘videshi' in the group as his strokes are “a clear deviation from the usual style of Malayali artists”. Sijimon's fluid style captures landscapes in a unique way. Haris Babu and Shibu Abdhil's works, too, say a thing or two about the artists' vision of the world. People, animals, cities, and fields transform and morph into lines, blurs and smudges. The exhibition is on till February 29.

The Garden of Malabar blooms again (http://thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2903684.ece)

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Renee Ridgway with her Installation at David Hall, Fort Kochi

Visual artist Renee Ridgway's show, ‘The Wanted Land', at David Hall yokes themes of Dutch colonisation, and traditional knowledge of Ayurveda

After three years of extensive research that engaged visual artist Renee Ridgway to ferret through several archives and meet related people across countries, the Dutch American artist is ready with her collated material in a show called, ‘The Wanted Land', which is on at David Hall, Fort Kochi. The show, which comprises three video installations along with archival objects and indigenous plants contained in the Hortus Malabaricus, will address subjects like Dutch colonisation, migration, trade, traditional knowledge of Ayurveda and bio patents.

Showcasing heritage

One of the highlights of the show will be the showcasing of the Latin version of the Hortus Malabaricus (meaning Garden of Malabar), which is a broad tome that deals with the medicinal properties of the flora of Kerala. Originally written in Latin, it was compiled over a period of 30 years and published from Amsterdam during 1678-1693. The book was conceived by the then Governor of Malabar, Hendrik van Rheede aka Commodore Odatha.

‘The Wanted Land', says Renee, “Is my personal interpretation and usage of the word. I am not a botanist but an artist, a cultural activist. I am using it as a historical reference.”

Renee has followed closely the Dutch colonial history in America, South Africa, Indonesia and has now zoomed in on the Dutch presence in India. Last year she held the show at Museum Beelden aan Zee in The Hague, titling it, ‘The Unwanted Land'.

Renee adumbrates David Hall, the venue, to be a perfect setting for the subject, of Van Rheede having compiled the historic work at this spot. She is doing a re-run of that imagined time when doctors, translators and botanists worked in tandem to bring out the book. On February 18, Saturday, David Hall will turn into a similar space where open discussion will encourage anybody interested in the Hortus Malabaricus, “to take part in the discussion and even bring plants”.

K.J. Sohan, former mayor and a contributor to the research, has arranged for a hundred plants to be brought to the venue, says Renee. The session will be opened by Ms. Mariella van Miltenburg, Head of the Department of Political Affairs and Public Diplomacy of the Netherlands Embassy in New Delhi. It h will also mark the launch of the website, hortusmalabaricus.net.

“The website will be there to collate everybody's knowledge regarding the subject.”

As an artist, Renee has put together a multi-channel installation consisting of local images and views of people from the Netherlands. “It is a kind of vox populi and scholarly knowledge on the subject”, she elucidates, adding that questions such as why Van Rheede commissioned the Hortus Malabaricus will be addressed.

The main hall of the venue will focus on Dutch colonial history in Cochin, as told by the local people from the area. The video will feature Kochiites of Dutch lineage and perspectives of research scholars like Anjana Singh.

Personal touch

In one of the other halls of the venue, two videos will reveal Renee's personal usage of Hortus Malabaricus as told “by my Ayurvedic doctor, Thomas Punnen.”

He cured Renee from her bad attacks of migraine through Ayurveda. While traditional knowledge is one dimension of the research the others are varied perspectives on migration, emigration, integration and finally disintegration.

“I am an American emigrant. My doctor, who migrated to Amsterdam, has come back to India. We have the same emigration lawyers,” discloses Renee and in these shifting lives, touching Dutch history, she has built up the story of ‘The Wanted Land'.

The video production has been done by filmmaker Rick Van Amersfoot and the show is sponsored by the Dutch Embassy and cghearth group. The show is on till Feb 22.

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FOR KATHAKALI’S SAKE Parikshit Thampuran, Maharaja of Cochin, inaugurating the Ernakulam Kathakali Club

Ernakulam Kathakali Club Target: To encourage and propagate Kathakali and to promote the artists of this exclusive art form


ORIGIN: Ernakulam Kathakali Club, one of the oldest cultural organisations in Kochi, has been on the go ever since it came into being way back in the year 1959. It was inaugurated by Parikshit Thampuran, the then Maharaja of Cochin. It was the undying passion and devotion of a like-minded few for Kathakali that culminated in the formation of Ernakulam Kathakali Club. As of now, the club has around 300 members but they still find it difficult to make ends meet. Having successfully entered into sixth decade of its activities, the highpoint of this organisation is its consistency, still conducting its monthly programmes without fail. “The uninterrupted manner in which we have kept the show going could well be termed as our greatest accomplishment. During the last 52 years it was only on one occasion that the club had to suspend its regular monthly show. That was on the day of the Perumon train tragedy,” says K.Sukumaran, secretary of the club and an avid Kathakali fan.

ACTIVITIES:Apart from the regular monthly programmes the club organises special programmes. The annual celebrations are conducted in a fitting manner with maestros donning important roles in choice plays. “Till recently night-long Kathakali performances for two days were an integral part of the annual celebrations. During the eighties, which can be considered as the golden era of the club, Kathakali performances by maestros used to be held to packed houses,” remembers Ravindran A. N., cultural activist and member of the club for over four decades. The club also has been honouring talented artistes by awarding them with the ‘Kalahamsam' and ‘Tauratrika' awards.

IMPACT:Kathakali is not an art form which is easily understood and appreciated. It is here that the club becomes relevant. It has been in the forefront of propagating and preserving this art form. The week-long appreciation classes that the club used to conduct have been responsible in initiating many new Kathakali aficionados. It also helped many understand the art and enhanced their enjoyment of the Attakathas.

Parinday to spread its wings in Kochi (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Parinday-to-spread-its-wings-in-Kochi/articleshow/11933514.cms)
Anupriya Deotale is excited to perform in Kochi for the first time on February 18. The violinist from Delhi and her troupe of fusion music artistes will perform at Jose Thomas performing arts centre (JTPac) in Tripunithura. The band, Parinday, promises a gala evening with 'Western-Hindustani' musical fusion.

"I had played in Thiruvananthapuram once and then I heard great things about Kochi people's appreciation for music," said Anupriya. She is the first Indian to receive the noted Ustad Salamat Ali and Nazakat Ali Khan award at Lahore, Pakistan in 2004.

Parinday's ideology is that fusion is the one of the best ways to promote classical music in our society. "The growth in the number of fusion bands shows how people appreciate this branch of music. But usually one school of music is compromised, but we are proud of the fact that we strike a perfect balance," said Anupriya.

The troupe plans to perform a couple of their new compositions for Kochiites on Saturday. Parinday or 'Birds' is a metaphor of 'the soul soaring to indescribable heights.' The group's compositions and themes are based on ragas, moving freely through classical and western influences.Parinday has performed in many parts of India and even in countries like Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany

Aluva Sivarathri - the biggest cultural trade fair in Kerala

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Temporary pedestrian bridge built to Aluva Manappuram

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Source: Mathrubhumi

'Hortus Malabaricus' themed do in Kochi (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/parties/others/Hortus-Malabaricus-themed-do-in-Kochi/articleshow/11975017.cms)
We all tend to share a keen interest in checking out different cultures. So when Renee Ridgway, a Dutch-American visual artist from Lebanon, put out video installations - The Wanted Land - on display, an eclectic mix of the city's known faces dropped by to check it out.

The central theme - Hortus Malabaricus - showcased Dutch colonisation, migration, trade, bio patents and Ayurveda. At the do, we saw former mayor K J Sohan, head of political affairs and public diplomacy (Netherlands Embassy in New Delhi) Mariella van Miltenburg, architect Monolitha Chatterjee and entrepreneur Jose Dominic.

Fly Daily To Dreams

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Fly daily to dreams - PS Degree Show 2012 will be held at Durbar Hall Ground, Ernakulam from 20-29 February 2012.

Exhibition of paintings by final year MFA Students, Government RLV College, Tripunithura, Ernakulam, Kerala, India will be there for exhibition.

‘Confluence’ at David Hall Art Gallery

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David Hall Art Gallery, Fort Kochi is all set with their next exhibition- Confluence, a group show of paintings par excellence. The opening of the exhibition will be on the 26th of February 2012 at 5 p.m. They have been coming up with some remarkable art exhibitions over the past few months, and this one will be no different.

The art works of the following artists will be on display- Bhaskaran Bhara, Anto George, Leon K L, Gipin Varghese, Bhagyanath C, Upendranath T R, Sebastian Varghese, Reghunadhan K, Sanam Narayanan and Suvitha K V.

For more details, you can mail them at padmini@davidhall.in, or call them at 0484- 2218298.

‘Heritage Arts’ brings history into limelight (http://http://expressbuzz.com/cities/kochi/%E2%80%98heritage-arts%E2%80%99-brings-history-into-limelight/367338.html)

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Missing ‘Heritage Arts’ at Mattanchery means missing the best antique collection in South India. Nineteen years ago, when N B Majnoo started a small shop sprawled over an area of 300 sq feet in Mattanchery, little did he know that one day it would become one of the most sought after antique shops in South India. “I used to be a tourist guide then and would take tourists to historical destinations in Mattanchery. This kindled an interest in antique and that was how I ended up in this profession,” he said.
For him, this antique shop was just a source of livelihood which later turned into passion.

What excites him most, is the status garnered by his antique shop in due course of time. “People do not see it as a shop but look at it as a museum. I am proud of the fact many guides here, introduce my shop to others as a museum,” he said. Tourists rarely miss this shop owing to it close proximity to the historical Dutch palace. Most of the antique date back to 200 to 300 years. A temple door (Gopura Vathil) procured from Tamil Nadu by Majnoo can tell a story of 350 years. The bronze horse rider which is about 250 years old, is yet another major attraction.

Though the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has put a strict tab on exports of antique outside the country, Majnoo said that the market is not severely affected. “Previously, it was exports which constituted 90 per cent of the antique market. However, now 50 per cent of the market has been taken over by the Indian presence,” he said.

Pune, Delhi and Mumbai are the three places in India where a growing demand for antique can be witnessed. “Pune outnumbers the other two,” he said.
In addition, the liking for small antique pieces has now given way for large pieces, he said. “About eight truck loads of antique were taken away to renovate the airport in Mumbai. Three of them were from my shop. Many business tycoons had approached me for a 107-year-old snake boat. However, I did not sell it as it would have been a huge loss to Kochi tourism,” he said.

Sax and the man (http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article2974139.ece)
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'Note'worthy Joseph D'Cruz plays a tune on the clarinet

Joseph D'Cruz is a teacher who belongs to the old school of teaching. This music master is probably the only person in Kochi who teaches the saxophone. The piano, organ, guitar, clarinet, keyboard, mouth-organ etc are just some of the other instruments he teaches.

Classroom is the rather spartan first floor of his rented house. Patchwork sheets cover a keyboard and a digital piano. A few music books, a couple of pictures of Jesus and a few knick-knacks arranged neatly on a table are the other equipment in the tidy room.

Experienced

The septuagenarian reveals interesting aspects of teaching and learning music. He has been teaching in Kochi since 1975. He started with Cochin Arts and Communications (CAC) before moving to Dubai in 1992. He taught at a music school there, till he returned in 2000.

The masters who taught him, in the 50s, were Italian priests of the Sacred Heart School and College near Jolarpettai. He started with the clarinet and then moved on to the saxophone. The other instruments? “It is not too difficult if you know the notes and where to find them on the instrument,” he says in impeccable English. Learning the guitar and the keyboard is popular, he says, but the saxophone has few takers. In fact, he has just one student who learns the saxophone.

The saxophone, or for that matter all reed instruments, requires effort and hard work. “Initially the sound which emanates from the instrument is just a squeak. Needless to say it requires a lot of practice,” Joseph sir says. All that blowing a wind/reed instrument requires can put off anybody who is not committed to the instrument. He doffs his hat (imaginary) to Kadri Gopalnath. “Quite an effort!”

Jazz

As the conversation veers to jazz music and the five kinds of saxophones (soparano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass) he offers to show his saxophone (an alto). He gets his saxophone, tenderly holds it and asks, “Want me to play something?” He strikes a pose and warns, “Be prepared for a few decibels of sound.” Sound? No, music yes. And then the clarinet. The years disappear when Joseph sir starts playing. The piano will have to wait, as he has injured his wrist and it needs rest. Then there is an accordion, but broken, somewhere.

Committed teacher

Teaching is something close to his heart. “I turned down offers to perform or join a band because I'd rather teach.” The Trinity College of Music had awarded him with a certificate for Proficiency in Teaching (music). Most of the students he taught and sent for the exams cleared them. He, however, does not do that anymore. At 74 , teaching young kids would be an effort, but not for Joseph sir. As long as he is able to ‘communicate and make the child understand the abstract concept'. Therefore he has set Standard 3 – 4 as the suitable time for kids to start. And for the saxophone? “Be bigger than the instrument,” he says with a soft laugh. He conducts classes from home.

Chatting with Joseph sir is going back and forth, the old days and the now. Is his approach to teaching different from that of his teachers? “Not every much. Only that the fundamental nomenclature for music has changed. For Western Classical music (vocal) lessons still use ‘do-re-mi-so-fa-li-ti-do' but for instruments and others it is ‘c-d-e-f-g-a-b-c'.” Rather than teaching particular songs he teaches the old school way, concentrating on Western classical musical notation of teaching. He is, he confesses, classically oriented. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven among others figure prominently in his syllabus, which he designs to suit his individual students. That is not to say that if a student asks to be taught a song he refuses. He indulges once in a way because when ‘they play a song, they feel they have a sense of achievement'.

His being classically-oriented doesn't come in the way of being tolerant of current musical trends. “If youngsters are enjoying some kind of music, then it should be appreciated,” he says.

‘Confluence’ at David Hall Art Gallery



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‘Confluence' has 10 artists showing 47 works at David Hall, Fort Kochi. They express their fears and doubts about a future where both humanness and water are scarce.

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41st Award presentation & State Exhibition 2012 will be held at Durbar Hall Ground, Ernakulam from 4-18 March 2012.Kerala Lalithakala Akademy,Ernakulam is organising the same.

Sri Siddique, Film Director inaugurated the State Exhibition

Theatre scene on revival (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Who-said-theatre-is-dead/articleshow/12409325.cms)
Theatre scene in Kerala, which had been stagnant in the last two decades, is witnessing a slow and steady revival, thanks to some dedicated activists as well as organizations.

Lokadharmi, Mulanthruruthy based theatre lab; Dhanush, the amateur theatre group from Tripunithura; Mazhavillu, the children's drama troupe and cultural organizations like Changampuzha Samskarika Vedi and JTPac who promote the medium and artistes through collaborations play a major role in revival activities.

"There has been a renewed interest in theatre in the city. Places like Changampuzha park has become a hot bed for experimental theatre where even amateur groups without much financial backing can perform to an enlightened audience," observed G Ajayan, a young theatre activist in Kochi, who will be showcasing his latest production on the occasion of the World Theatre Day at Town Hall on March 27.

The culture of theatre has also been nourished by the city's cosmopolitan nature.

"Malayalis and non-Malayalis, who have studied outside the state and are presently in the city are enthusiastic to be a part of theatre, either by being a part of the production or by watching it," noted Chandradasan, art director of Lokadharmi Theatre.

The Francescos, an Italian family settled in Kochi, makes it a point to see the latest theatre productions performed in Kochi, no matter what the language.

Meanwhile, Kavalam Narayana Panicker, an active voice of Kerala theatre in the country and abroad believes that there has been a definite improvement in the theatre scene in the state.

"The international attention that Malayalam theatre garnered has made it an honourable profession, if not a highly remunerative one. Thus youngsters these days are interested to be part of indigenous theatre," said Panicker, whose troupe is currently in Odisha, planning a performance on March 27, World Theatre Day.

"A good script works wonders, may it be theatre or film, what we in the theatre fraternity needs to work is not to lose our identity of being a Malayali in this highly corporatized space we all share," noted the veteran playwright.

Children's Park library set for digital makeover (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Childrens-Park-library-set-for-digital-makeover/articleshow/12526264.cms)
To augment the entertainment options for tiny tots in the city, the district administration has decided to add more facilities at the Children's Park. District collector P I Sheik Pareeth said the library in the park would be computerized and more books added to its collection.

According to the plan, the district administration along with the District Council for Child Welfare (DCCW) will undertake the job of making it an e-library. "We are in discussion with Granthasala Sangham on how to implement the scheme and what other facilities should be introduced," Pareeth said.

It's the Granthasala Sangham that gives approval for libraries. The project to revive the library will cost around Rs 2 lakh. It will be completed in one month's time. "We plan to revive the library, which in the park that wasn't functioning due to poor maintenance. We will add 1,000 more books. Once computerization and launch of the e-library is launched, kids will find visiting the place a rewarding experience," said K J Tomy, additional development commissioner, DCCW. The collector also said a mini planetarium and a computer-simulated game would be introduced in the park.

To make the summer vacation more colourful, the authorities have announced several vacation camps and programmes at the park. The major attraction will be a two-month-long Children's Film Festival, being organized by DCCW and the Heartlight Association, from April 4.

A children's literary festival, painting festival, magic show, environmental awareness sessions and kavi arangu will also be held as part of the vacation camp. There is also a plan to introduce a training programme in skating for children. During the film festival, short-films and documentaries filmed by children will be screened from 5.30 pm.

Artistes forum to support Muziris Biennale (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Artistes-extend-support-for-Kochi-Muziris-Biennale/articleshow/12617386.cms)

Following a spate of controversies over the first Biennale slated to be held later this year in Kochi, Support Forum-Biennale 2012, a group of major artistes in the state, has come out in support for the event.

"The countdown for perhaps the best thing to happen to the Kerala art scene has started. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale scheduled for December offers artists a great opportunity and we pledge our support to it," said sculptor Raghunathan K, who represents the Biennale supporters' forum, at a press conference here on Tuesday.

The forum boasts about 30 senior artistes from various disciplines. They include C N Karunakaran, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Akkitham Vasudevan among others. The Kochi Biennale Foundation is planning to organize the event once every two years in the city.

"We do not have any doubts about the credentials of Biennale foundation members like Bose Krishnamachari and Riyaz Komu, who have overseen similar international events. Let the investigations go on. We are here to support the Biennale," Raghunathan said.

The artistes who represented the forum were of the opinion that those against the Biennale have not clearly understood the exposure such an event would give local artistes. "Biennale provides a global platform for artistes in Kerala; for the young and aspiring as well as veterans," said Leon K L.

The forum members also cited the life of Raja Ravi Varma to underline the importance of exposure and patronage for arts. "Raja Ravi Varma found patronage in Maharashtra. Similarly, full-time artistes in Kerala will get exposure and support once the Biennale takes place. The misunderstanding that certain artistes have, at this point about the foundation shouldn't overshadow the benefits such an event will bring," observed Anto George.

The support from the artistes' community has come at a crucial time when allegations of corruption and misallocation of government funds by the foundation have been rife.

'Nature Scapes' at Durbar Hall Art Gallery

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Kochi to host painting exhibition by leading German artist (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/article3331000.ece)
Eberhard Havekost has earned international acclaim and major museums feature his works.

Amidst controversies, the art show titled “Sightseeing Trip” by contemporary German painter Eberhard Havekost will begin at Durbar Hall here on Saturday.

Union Minister K.V. Thomas will inaugurate the exhibition, which is being organised by the Dresden State Art Collections, in collaboration with the Kochi Biennale Foundation and with support from the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Mr. Havekost is described as one of the most important artists of his generation. Born in Dresden in 1967, he studied painting at the renowned Dresden Art Academy. He has earned international acclaim and major museums and private collections feature his works.

“Sightseeing Trip” is his search for motifs and situations that reflect the urban lifestyle of a consumer society. “He perceives the complex structures of city life in segmented form: facades, streets, cars, shop windows, passer-by. He is particularly interested in the optical quality of the surfaces and exteriors of the urban organism,” said a hand-out on the forthcoming exhibition.

Mayor Tony Chammany will preside over the inaugural function. Senior artist and former chairman of Kerala Lalitkala Akademi C.N. Karunakaran, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, vice-chairman of INTACH and honorary director of Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai; Hans-Gunter Loffler, Deputy Consul General, Consulate General of Germany; Syed Ibrahim, Director, Goethe-Zentrum, Thiruvananthapuram; and Mathias Wagner, curator, New Maters Museum, Dresden State Art Collections; will be guests of honour.

The city is one of the two venues where the exhibition will be held as part of the “Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities” – the year-long programme to mark the 60 anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

While some artists and art students have welcomed the exhibition, some other artists came up in protest against it. Those against the exhibition complained that the Kochi Biennale Foundation was denying space to local artists to hold exhibition as the prestigious Durbar Hall, owned by the Kerala Lalitkala Akademi, is being booked for extensive period as part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

Kochi to host painting exhibition by leading German artist (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/article3331000.ece)

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Lillette Dubey’s play in Kochi (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/parties/others/Lillette-Dubeys-play-in-Kochi/articleshow/12801046.cms)
Contemporary theatre sure has a lot of takers in Kochi. Quite a few turned up the other day when Lillette Dubey's Love on the Brink was staged.

The nearly two-hour-long play started off a bit late, but kept the audience riveted throughout.

Lillette herself was present at the venue, much to the delight of theatre lovers. We spotted a lot of new faces in the audience this time, a change from the usual crowd.

^^

Lady Lillete’s here (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/showbiz/bollywood/lady-lillete%E2%80%99s-here-238)
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Bollywood and theatre personality Lillete Dubey, who is in Kochi to enact her play Love on the Brink, is as loquacious and vivacious as ever, her witty conversation punctuated by her typical, contagious laughter. “Perhaps I was a Malayali in my last birth, that is why I talk so much,” she says.

If you thought that was a forced Kerala connection, there are several other aspects that make Kerala dear to her. Her only brother has just opened a restaurant, Lemon Tree, by the sea. “He told me it is a beautiful location and I told him, anywhere in Kerala is stunning.”

She adds that Thiruvananthapuram, which she visited during the recent international film fest, was a revelation to her. “I knew Kochi was picturesque but didn’t know that the capital was equally nice.” One of the two films in the competition section, Delhi in a Day, an English feature directed by Malayali director Prashant Nair, had Lillette playing a significant role.

While her heart and soul are in theatre, she continues to figure in many a Bollywood and cross-cultural movie. “I have done about 30 films so far and at least 15 are famous whether it is Monsoon Wedding, Kal Ho Naa Ho or Fanah,” she says, adding that her mindset while doing theatre is drastically different from when she does a film role.

“Films are mainly about business. Hindi cinema is a very visual medium and I have accepted this. And women, with a few exceptions, do not have a big role to play. Looking good is a very important aspect in films unlike in theatre. Maybe it is because of my personality, I get to play strong, dynamic, glamorous women,” she says.

She notes how Malayalam cinema is different and how someone like Mammootty gets to do all kinds of roles. “He plays the glamorous, young, ugly, old and all sorts of characters. We once did a film together and I remember what Mammootty told me then, ‘Lillete, I am a greedy man and want to do a lot of things’”

Lillete clearly shares that philosophy. “As one gets old, you feel that time is ticking away. We all have our ‘bucket list’. It is in theatre that I implement my vision and try out various things.

But in movies, I just do what Sajid wants or Mira Nair wants.” She is looking forward to the Indian release next month of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel directed by John Madden of Shakespeare in Love. “I am doing a David Dhawan film, Sunny Deol film…” The list goes on and on.

The theatre director wants to turn film director by adapting a Girish Karnad play and Girish has apparently agreed to do the screenplay.

Oh yes, all that will take a bit of time. Meanwhile, she has a stage performance to do this evening at JTPAC auditorium.

Different strokes
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DEPICTING MYTHOLOGY: Rama, Sita, Lakshman
and Hanuman.

On the top floor of Lalit Kala Akademi, a 52-year-old man is seen busy practising calligraphic stokes in a small note book, sometime attentive, sometime oblivious of the visitors scanning his 37 bright red drawings enhancing the radiance of the otherwise colourless walls they are mounted on.

The visitors can't help looking at the man who did it with immense surprise. The reasons are two. One, they narrate almost entirely, the mythological tale of Ramayana, the epic and the Shiva Purana. And two, they are told with just a single or very few ‘strokes'. To add to it is the medium – the sacred red kumkum ointment.

The creator of these works is Poosapati Parameshwar Raju, lovingly called P. P. Raju, a trained calligrapher from Aurangabad who specialises in grids and space division for design. And his creations measuring 29 x 22.5 inches done in light proof ink on archival paper (that survives over 100 years) has, sort of opened a new genre of calligraphy – the iconic calligraphy. The exhibition titled ‘Lore of Belief' curated by art historian Koeli Mukerjee Ghose is first of its kind in the realm of calligraphy.

Calligraphy, being an art of writing, is not frequently utilised to create works of art. But Raju has nurtured the passion for history, customs, and folklore and their preservation thanks to his great grandfather Appala Raju. He was a sculpture who sculpted figures of stone and metal for the temples and also specialised in fresco. He had created a new medium for sculpture and relief work with tamarind seed paste and cloth.

Says Koeli, “Few years ago Raju came to me with the calligraphic work he had done earlier contained in a catalogue. Seeing these an artist remarked, ‘he is a Hindu fanatic'. It made me wonder why he said that. I found Raju's religion has nothing to do with artistic leanings. It is his strong passion for history, traditional customs, rituals and folklore and his study of Vedas that has encouraged him to create these works of art. Nonetheless, it was very difficult to tell art galleries to exhibit his works as they would invariably find it ‘religious', while Raju's art traverses both traditional and contemporary terrains”.

However, the quality of Raju's work speaks for itself and leaves behind the narrow perspective of galleries. The show is now travelling to Jallandar, Amritsar, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The Ramayana series will also be showcased at the ICCR in Delhi in June.

Kochi to host painting exhibition by Eberhard Havekost (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/article3331000.ece)
"Sightseeing Trip. Eberhard Havekost in India"

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More pics and Courtesy: Kochi - Muziris Biennale (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.403464716344047.98310.192910214066166&type=1)

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Summer Theatre Festival to be Held (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/summer-theatre-festival-to-be-held-may-8/255127-60-122.html)
The third Summer Theatre Festival by Abhinaya Thiruvananthapuram will begin in Kochi on May 8. It is being organised by Bank Employees Arts Movement Ernakulam (BEAME). The three-day festival will be held at Ernakulam Town Hall at 6.30 pm.

An independent adaptation of N N Pillai’s ‘Suddha Maddalam’ directed by P J Unnikrishnan will be staged on the first day.
Amalraj and Rajesh Varma will portray the two characters who meet at a narrow railway line, in the play.

Firoz Khan’s ‘Adrisya Nagarangal’ which is based on the novel ‘Invisible Cities’ by Italian writer Italo Calvino will be staged on the second day.
The play depicts an eternal journey through different cities and seeks to find answers to certain questions.

The characters will be portrayed by Sreenivas, Ajaya Kumar, Fawas, Jain and Abhija.
On the last day of the festival, ‘Pacha’, a play by Sujith Gopinath will be staged.
Abhija, Pratheesh and Fawas will portray the characters

Doodle art expo in Kochi (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/potpouri/doodle-art-expo-kochi-219)
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From sketches, drawings, paintings, photographs and digital art, students of Sree Institute of Creative Arts and Westford School of Management have showcased a Doodle Art Expo at Durbar Hall in Kochi.

Around 50 art pieces have been showcased at the five-day exhibition,which began on May 5.
Vinil, a teacher at Sree Institute of Creative Arts said: “This is to give a platform to students to exhibit their creativity.

“There are various degree and diploma courses on animation, painting, sculpting and so on, and 20 students have put forth their multitude of expressions through this exhibition.''

“This exhibition will be an opportunity for all the art lovers to enjoy the creative skills of the upcoming generation too.”

The Institute is celebrating its second year of existence by conducting an art exhibition for students in the city.

“This is for the first time that the Institute is holding an exhibition. It also provides an opportunity for budding artists to interact with other artists too,” added the teacher.

Many faces of tradition at Parampara (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/potpouri/many-faces-tradition-parampara-222)
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The evenings of Kochi will reverberate with the jangling of the anklets as JTPac prepares to host Parampara — Indian Classical Dance Festival from May 16 for five days.

On the first day, Madhavi Mudgal, an exponent of Odissi, will perform. The following day, integrating the sacredness of a tradition with the creativeness of a contemporary approach, danseuse Saswati Sen, foremost disciple of Pt Birju Maharaj, will perform Kathak.

A graceful dancer from Kerala, Padmashri Bharati Shivaji who is a rare combination of performer, choreographer, author and guru is sure to enthrall the audience with Kerala’s own dance form- Mohiniyattam on May 18.

A classical temple and court dance tradition of Andhra Pradesh- Vilasini Natyam, now an established solo dance-form will be performed by Padma Bhushan Swapna Sundari on the penultimate day of the festival.

The final day, May 20 will be reserved for the premier dance form — Bharatanatyam, which will be performed by Rama Vaidyanathan, one of India's leading classical dancers.

Featuring some the best dancers from India, Parampara will be a fascinating experience for the traditional dance lovers in the city.

5 world renowned dancers in Kochi

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cc: Manorama

'Biennale not a venue to sell works of art' (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Biennale-not-a-venue-to-sell-works-of-art/articleshow/13159372.cms)
The Kochi-Muziris Biennale will help provide Kochi a route on the international art map. The biennale is not a venue to sell works of art, but something that will create an independent venue for artists to present their works, said Riyas Komu, one of the organizers of the biennale, at a debate at Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy here on Tuesday.

Bose Krishnamachari, the other organizer, was also present. Artist Shajan Nellayi was the mediator at the debate organized by the Trichur Cultural Forum.

Riyas Komu said in many countries biennale was held based on some major issuein that country. In South Africa, the biennale was based on apartheid. In Sri Lanka, it was started after the collapse of the LTTE, and in Berlin it was based on the collapse of the Berlin Wall. "In Kochi, we are starting it with the cosmopolitan history of Muziris." No such biennale has ever been held in India, that is why issues have been cropping up overthe Kochi Biennale, Riyas Komu said. In 2005, there was an effort to conduct a biennale, but that did not materialize.

At the cultural extravaganza in Kochi, 80 artists from 20 countries will participate. Of them, 65 have been invited, he added. The Kochi Biennale will last three months, and will be held at various venues in Kochi from 12 December 2012. On the minimal representation of Kerala artists in the Biennale trust, he said of the 80 artists who will participate, 20% would be from Kerala. "The first biennale will be based on the theme, 'reactionary' works. But, sadly artists in Kerala do not belong to that genre. They do not react to socio-political situations in Kerala through their works," Komu said. He said Ai Weiwei, one of China's best known artists who was under arrest, had expressed interest in presenting his works at the Kochi Biennale. Defending the funding from cultural and private organizations to conduct the programme, he said, the biennale was not to privatize art. "It is a convergence of artists".

Mediator Shajan asked why the government was funding the programme on a large-scale, while public institutions like the Lalithakala Academy were languishing on account of lack of infrastructure facilities. To this Komu said: "With the Rs 5 crore the government provided us, we renovated the Durbar Hall. We will be handing over a new state-of-the-art Durbar Hall. to the Lalithakala Academy.

Such Independent programmes will give public institutions an impetus to conduct new programmes and that will prevent young artists from migratingto other states."

Artists will have new presentation facilities like video art projects at the Kochi Biennale. We have given special projects to college students in Kerala based on the theme, 'non-violence', Komu said. He added that they would conduct the programme even without any further financial help from the government.

Proudly promoting Finnish art (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/potpouri/proudly-promoting-finnish-art-414)
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Artistes from Finland perform a dance drama at the ongoing Finnish Art Week in Kochi.

The ongoing Finnish Art Week in Kochi is the first festival in such a scale to promote Finnish art in Kerala.

Finnish films, dance drama, exhibition of Finnish visual arts and a workshop are being held as part of the Art Week.

The Visual arts exhibition at Nanappa Art Gallery includes sculptures, textile art, cartoon, photographs, ceramics, graphics and video art. The visiting Finnish artists will have a workshop together with Lokadharmi Theatre Group.

The final day of the workshop will see a performance, Two Mothers in the Realm of Death, at Changampuzha Park in Edappally.

The exhibition is on till May 24.

Biennale will be a model: Subodh Gupta (http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/article3440814.ece?textsize=large&test=1)
Eminent artist Subodh Gupta — the most recognisable face of Indian contemporary art across the globe — has thrown his weight behind the proposed Kochi-Muziris Biennale, terming it as ‘unique and new' to the country.

In Kochi recently to scan the biennale exhibition spaces as also to conceive his own work for the event, Mr. Gupta said that the government should naturally support the venture. “It [the biennale] seeks to showcase quality art and artists and should, therefore, be supported by the government and private players. It will be a role-model for the country. Kochi is a great place to have the biennale of India. It is a blessed place…. Whenever someone tries to bring something that has never happened in the country before, there will always be opposition…. If they [organisers of biennale] are transparent about expenditure, nobody should have any problem with that,” he said.

Mr. Gupta expressed happiness over the quality of venues converted for the conduct of the event beginning 12/12/12. “Local people are supporting them. You have a very good place for the biennale,” he said, adding he was excited about presenting a work at the art carnival. The artist said Kochi would stand to benefit economically and artistically from the event. “The city will find a place in the international circuit. Look at what's happening to Venice. Why is it that Basel art fair is happening there and not in a city like Zurich? Why is Kassel the place for Documentas? Kassel is not Berlin or an important city in Germany. Kochi, being a little far away from the national capital or ‘happening' cities, has a unique character, which makes it ideal to host the event. First of all, it brings livelihood. They city becomes more recognisable as it would come on the international tourist map,” he said.

Patronage for art was something still to pick up in the country, Mr. Gupta said. “We have a long way to go. That is why I extend my full support to anyone doing something of this scale. The county of over billion doesn't have a single contemporary art museum by the government… Go to Shanghai or Beijing and you will find 30 to 40 art museums within a city.” On art, he said it was important for an artist to create own language. It was a difficult task, though. “I guess, in Kochi, artist Zakir Hussain has it,” said Mr. Gupta, adding that his biggest inspiration had been people he met in every day life.

Museums must reveal the past, says scholar (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/article3448747.ece)
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The Dutch Palace in Mattancherry needs a few corrections, though the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has maintained it well, the academic dean of the Centre for Heritage Studies (CHS) M.G. Sasibhoosan said.

On seeing the exhibits, visitors to the palace might get the impression that the Kochi kings were all dark skinned, which is not true. Secondly, the palace's ground floor is with the Pazhayanoor Temple. The floor must be urgently handed over to the ASI, he said while speaking on ‘New challenges and new experiences of museums', at the International Museum Day celebrations organised here by the ASI.

Commending the famed mural paintings at the museum, Dr. Sasibhoosan, who was a member of a Central committee aiming to better the condition of museums, said that they stand out since importance is given to expressions (‘bhavam') than anatomy.

Museums must reveal the broad-mindedness, pettiness and mistakes of our forefathers, he said, and added that the national museum in New Delhi is among the few museums in India that conform to international norms. “Most other museums, including private ones are in bad shape. Historians and museum guides must strive to change the situation. Changes must be made in exhibition techniques. Sadly, many rare Indian art works, some of those from Kerala, adorn museums in Germany and the U.S.”

Referring to a private museum in a nearby district, where an entry fee of Rs. 100 is charged, he said that hardly any guests come there since the private collections on display are mostly crystal ware.

Referring to the plight of museums in Kerala, he said that inadequacies plague most museums in the State, including the Hill Palace Museum in Tripunithura. “The palace does not need as many exhibits. Visitors are more interested about the simple 18th century king (who lived there). The palanquin at the entrance was not used by the Kochi king.”

Among others who spoke was the ASI's Assistant Superintending Archaeologist M. Kali Muthu.

This artist is here to experiment with large spaces (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/This-artist-is-here-to-experiment-with-large-spaces/articleshow/13579889.cms)
For an art critic, the works of Sudarshan Shetty is "surreptitiously surrealistic". At Art Brussels this May, a wooden sculpture by Shetty -- Untitled (Crash Car) -- was sold for 45,000 euros. However, such an introduction isn't measure enough to gauge the worth of this Mangalore native.

The 52-year-old Mumbai-based artist was recently in Kochi, upbeat about being part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale exhibition that will begin in the city on December 12.

"I believe Kochi Biennale will become an event that would treat art as a primary concern. And Kochi is the right place for such an event," said the celebrated artist.

For the biennale he wants to experiment more with larger spaces, making art out of the neglected godowns and old buildings. Shetty is particularly well known for his large-sized sculptures and installations, like one of his recent works, 'Flying Bus', anchored to the ground at Maker Maxity complex in Bandra-Kurla Complex with its giant stainless steel wings.

"The complex history and culture of Kochi lie camouflaged under its growing cosmopolitanism. Visiting Muziris and walking on the streets of Fort Kochi have made me a fan of this place. The run-down Jewish synagogues and forgotten old buildings as a whole can be part of the art theme I am working on for the international exhibition," he said.

On account of the similarities between Mangalore, his hometown, and Kochi, Shetty has some kind of a special affinity for the city. "Both are coastal cities that have, through the ages, played host to many foreign cultures. I would like to explore more of Kerala and the city the next time I am around," he said.

He is popular for his works that usually celebrate the futility of engaging with this world, and he will be seen here more often now because he has to do more groundwork for his work.

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Muziris Heritage project: New Art gallery and library at Paravur

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Painting Exhibition at Nanappa Art Gallery (http://www.kochivibe.com/painting-exhibition-at-nanappa-art-gallery/)
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Kochiites, check out the paintings of Jeevan Lal at Nanappa Art Gallery this week. His unique paintings of Avatars from various religious texts are something you would love to check out. Blending modernity in those images, Jeevan Lal’s works are one-of-its-kind. The exhibition began on the 16th of June and will be on till July 2nd 2012.

Jeevan Lal, who passed out from the Cochin School of Art in the 70’s, has put up a great exhibition for Kochiites. His paintings have been acclaimed nationally, and he has participated in many exhibitions across the nation. From paintings of Krishna and Radha, images from Geetha, Christ on cross and much more, there is a visual treat for art-lovers in the city to indulge in.

You can drop in at Nanappa Art gallery any time between 11 a.m to 6 p.m. Do not miss this one, Kochi.

INCOGNITO and telling (http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article3581138.ece)
The works at the ongoing show at David Hall art gallery, Kochi, allows the viewers the space to draw their own conclusions

An untitled art show, several untitled works, a few known and some not-so-known artists, the current show at David Hall is refreshingly anonymous. You enjoy complete freedom of interpretation.

The antiquated space of David Hall, without doubt, lends itself to art. Works gather energy in a strange way. Like Bahuleyan’s do. A well known name in art in these parts, C.B. Bahuleyan’s three related works, two titled ‘Time’ and one called ‘The Flower’ are absolute virtuosities in process, skill, detailing , colours and, of course, the thought. ‘The Flower’, because of its unambiguous positive message is cheery and brings joy, different from the two pieces that show deep desolation caused by the onslaught of time. And yet in ‘The Flower’, the tree blossoms in deep red, while the rest of the world folds in doomed.

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Adoor Gopalakrishnan bemoans state of theatre in State

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Theatre in the State is in a pathetic condition, renowned filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan has said.

In his address at the inauguration of ‘Odeum,’ an organisation that seeks to foster various forms of art such as painting, cinema, theatre, dance, music and folk arts here on Friday, Mr. Gopalakrishnan said even people who had come out of the School of Drama founded by the late G. Sankara Pillai were staying away from theatre and making ‘low quality films.’

Stating that the condition of theatre, cinema and, to some extent, poetry was not in a good condition, Mr. Gopalakrishnan said that several outstanding works had come out in the fields of novel, painting and short story in the State.

“Many exceptional artists have left the State to make a secure living. But there are also people like C.N. Karunakaran who have stayed here and contributed to the growth of painting,” he said.

Mr. Gopalakrishnan said reading and writing were also in a healthy condition in the State. He said the public had apprehensions about the state of cinema. But the State had not gone backwards in other areas, he said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/article3591337.ece

Kicked about comedy (http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article3606426.ece)
Aditi Mittal, one of the few women in the stand up comedy genre, will perform at JTPac this week

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Aditi Mittal hardly pauses. You sense a distinct discomfort when she does so even over the telephone. Interrupting her or trying to fill in the chat often seemed a bother. Natural, for Aditi is a ‘professional chatterbox’, one whose career revolves around chirpy banter.

Rare breed

In the world of Indian stand up comedy Aditi is a rare breed. In fact, she is the only woman to make the grade. Quite a feat!

Stand up comedy is not really new to the country. But the English kind is relatively new and there are just a handful of experienced practitioners, though the tribe is certainly growing. Aditi can be counted among the top ten.

She, along with Kunal Rao, Praveen Kumar and Birj Bhakta, will present ‘Laff Lines’ at JTPac, Tripunithura, on July 7 at 7 p.m. This will be the first ever stand up comedy to be staged in the city.

Despite the crackling telephone, her hearty laughter spiced up her lively chat. Aditi spoke to The Hindu MetroPlus on her career and the excitement of meeting a new audience in Kochi.

Theatre experience

With a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from New York, Aditi dabbled for sometime in theatre. She acted in a “bunch of serious Broadway plays” before returning to India. Acting was her ‘labour of love,’ her priority. She played a significant role in the Eve Ensler play, ‘I am An Emotional Creature: The Secret Lives of Girls Around The World,’ directed by Mahabanoo Mody Kotwal. “I did a couple of commercials and a couple of television serials like ‘CID.’ I love television for all the crap. It is now part of my life. Hopefully, I’m not keen on films. I’m glued on to television, it is an inspiring idiot box after all,” says Aditi who also teaches Creative Writing at KC College, Mumbai.

“I teach for four hours, once a week. Moving ahead there are plans of writing a book. I have been working with a couple of other friends on a project for Random House. It’s about Bollywood.”

Live shows are what really gives Aditi a ‘kick.’ She has appeared on ‘Jay Hind,’ probably the country’s first online stand-up show and was also a regular on ‘Phenking News’ on CNN-IBN. But it is perhaps as a stand up comedian that Aditi is best known.

Stand up comedy is not easy art. Nor is it all about uttering four-letter words and cracking raunchy jokes. Aditi, who started off nearly three years ago, is a rare breed in this field. Her brand of humour is personal, observational and does around 120 shows yearly.

“Well, if some beginners in this genre believe that stand up comedy is all about four letter words and filthy jokes they are wrong. It can be irreverent and personal. The talk can be a mishmash of politics, societal issues, intimate relationships and more. And if a performer does four letter worlds it is only after he or she has earned the right to use them on stage.”

Many challenges

Being a woman has not really been very easy and there are very few women making it to this field. The challenges are many. Apart from the usual hecklers, women laughing out loud or cracking jokes was traditionally considered a sort of stigma. And stand up comedy itself is relatively new in the country.

“Over the years the demand has been growing. But apart from ‘The Comedy Store’, there are hardly any dedicated comedy clubs. Of late pubs, restaurants, clubs have started hosting ‘open mike’ events. They are casual shows where beginners can try out their act. There has been a steady growth in the number that appears for these shows. The stand up scene is growing.”

Kochi, hosting stand up comedy for the first time, will be another venue where this genre can possibly explode.And Aditi is excited about the prospect of meeting a new audience. “Stand up comedy comes with a lot of parameters. Laughter itself is an aggressive action.

People don’t want to be seen laughing. We try to build a camaraderie among this group. I’m just waiting to meet Kochi and walking around the place,” Aditi gushes.

M.I.A (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.I.A._(artist)) in Kochi

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M.I.A and Steve Loveridge visiting Padma Shri Peruvanam Kuttan Mararat and family
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cc: Kochi-Muziris Biennale

Cultural hub! (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/potpouri/cultural-hub-480)
Changampuzha Park of Idappally is turning out to be the cultural hub on the map of a cosmopolitan Kochi, with a variety of artistic programmes conducted through the year.

Starting from Friday, art buffs in the city will get to witness a visual treat with the commencement of the Horizon Series Of Cultural Events.

The programme, which will be launched with a scintillating Bharathanatyam recital by Anjana Mohan from Aranmula at 6.30 pm on July 20, will be followed by events like Subhadraharanam Kathakali, Konniyoor Suresh’s musical concert, Ganamela, etc in the following days till July 23.

The events will be conducted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Thiruvananthapuram (ICCR- a wing of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India along with the Changampuzha Samskarika Kendram.

Popular art gallery in Kochi re-opens! (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/malayalam/parties/Popular-art-gallery-in-Kochi-re-opens/articleshow/15076178.cms)
The re-opening of a popular art gallery in Kochi was met with great enthusiasm by art lovers in the city. On display were works by artists like Rajan M Krishna, K Raghunathan, Riyaz Komu and Zakir Hussain.

Owner of the gallery, Dilip Narayanan, spoke on the occasion. Many of the artists in town were present; we spotted Bose Krishnamachari and Kaladharan at the do.

International artists arrive for biennale research

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Mr. Hassan is one among many artists visiting the city to understand the region’s culture and history and give shape to the projects for the grand international festival of visual art

The run-up to the debut Kochi-Muziris Biennale beginning 12-12-12 has begun with artists of international repute descending on the city to conduct research for their works to be displayed at the event.

The latest to arrive in the city is Argentina-born visual artist Ariel Hassan, who lives and works between Germany and Australia. According to a Biennale Foundation communiqué, Mr. Hassan is slated to present a project titled Hypothetical Future Value (HFV), part of which recomposes photographic portraits of young people into abstract paintings. He will be in the city till the end of the month interacting with young residents of Fort Kochi and inviting them to take part in the project.

Mr. Hassan is one among many artists visiting the city to understand the region’s culture and history and give shape to the projects for the grand international festival of visual art.

Hossein Valamanesh, a leading Australian contemporary artist born in Iran, also visited the city to select space for displaying his project.

A visual artist who works in sculpture, painting, installation and collage, he draws inspiration from personal experiences and memories, and uses ordinary objects and natural materials to create visual poetry that reflects on his life in Australia and earlier experiences of his birthplace, Iran. Mr. Hossein has begun developing an installation for Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012 and will soon return to begin his work at a space in Fort Kochi.

The city has already hosted noted artists Subodh Gupta, Sudarshan Shetty, Jyothi Basu, Shaina Anand, Reji KP, Sanchayan Ghosh and performing artist M.I.A.

Meanwhile, a number of city-based artists such as Upendranath T.R., Vivek Vilasini, Jalaja P.S., K. Reghunadhan, Zakir Hussain and Siji R. Krishnan are also working for the biennale.

Slated to arrive in the coming days are artists Vivan Sundaram, Atul Dodiya, Sheela Gowda, Kiran Subbaiah, T Venkanna, Srinivasa Prasad, Justin Ponmany, Anita Dube, Nalini Malani, L.N. Tallur, Alex Mathew, Amanulla Mohajadidi (Afghanistan), Joseph Semah (Amsterdam) and Rohini Devasher.

Project proposals submitted by these artists following their city visit will eventually result in site-specific artworks that respond to the locality’s cosmopolitan legacy and urbanised present.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/article3699479.ece

Koodiyattom festival begins at Moozhikulam

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Held in collaboration with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the festival was inaugurated by noted Indologist and Koodiyattom aficionado David Shulman.

The fifth Koodiyattom festival of Nepathya Koodiyattom Centre here had an auspicious beginning on Sunday with Nangiyarkoothu exponent G. Indu presenting ‘Govardhanodharanam’.

Held in collaboration with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the festival was inaugurated by noted Indologist and Koodiyattom aficionado David Shulman. He said it was a rare privilege and a moving moment for the university and its crop of Sanskrit students to be associated with the festival.

Recalling his experience of watching the full-length performance of ‘Ashokavanikangam’ a few years ago, the professor said it “was a transformative experience” which inspired him and his students to come back to Nepathya every year for complete performances.

‘Anguliyankam’ Koodiyattom, which would be performed over the next 29 days, he said, encapsulated the entire ‘Ramayana’ and the ‘Ascharyachoodamani’.

“It is one of the masterpieces of Koodiyattom repertoire.” Koodiyattom exponent Margi Madhu, the force behind Nepathya, said that the performance marked a watershed in history as ‘Anguliyankam’ had so far been performed only in temples in a ritualistic fashion.

“Anguliyankam is traditionally performed over 12 days as pure ritual. Way back in 1993, Margi brought it outside temple premises and presented the entire text over two-and-a-half years by way of weekly performances. Perhaps this [Nepathya’s] is going to be the first full-length continuous performance of Anguliyankam outside temple precincts” he said.

Since it is meant for a ritualistic performance, Anguliyankam is without frills and glitter, but it is in-depth. The all-encompassing narrative structure offers the performer an opportunity for a quick revision of all that is there in Koodiyattom.

Nepathya trustee M. P. Sreekrishnan presided over the inaugural function. ‘Govardhanodharanam’ Nangiyarkoothu by G. Indu showcased the tale of a conceited Indra being humbled by Krishna. Similar in its performance grammar to Kailasodharanam in Koodiyattom, Govardhanodharanam shows Krishna lifting the mount Govardhana to protect his folks when an enraged Indra attempts to send down thunder, lightning and fiery showers on them. Through exemplary experiential acting, Indu conjured up the height, girth and enormity of the mountain and the trees, valleys, streams and caverns dotting it. Effortlessly switching roles, she was at once the peacocks dancing in the sky, the fiery Indra bent on teaching Krishna’s folks a lesson and Krishna himself lifting off the mountain overhead to protect all and sundry.

The month-long performance of ‘Anguliyankam’ will begin on Monday at 6.30 p.m.

Kochi-Muziris Biennale offers multi-dimensional prospects


KOCHI: The Kochi-Muziris Biennale which is expected to draw at least five lakh visitors and 80 artists from across the world will not only have socio-cultural benefits but huge economic yields as well, according to its organizers and leading artists.

Speaking at a seminar on "Kochi-Muziris Biennale -socio-cultural benefits" here on Monday, they said the event can be a major initiative in cultural diplomacy to raise the international profile of city and the state, and enhance the image of the city in the eyes of its own citizens.

This will in turn boost tourism both from within the country and outside, and generate employment and promote trade and other allied activities, they said.

Kochi-Muziris Biennale will be an occasion for showcasing the rich and long-standing cultural lineage of the state, as well as an opportunity to critically reflect on our own past. The artists from within the state will get an unprecedented opportunity to get exposed to the works of the leading artists from across the world as well as to engage with the artists themselves. It will also up the level of public awareness among the various trends prevailing in different parts of the globe.

Renowned artist Vivan Sundaram appealed to the government to support the project and should not discard it just because the previous government had piloted it. Mayor Tony Chammani said corporation would support the project, provided it was made transparent and accountable in all stages of decision-making and execution. "It's important to remove all mysteries surrounding the event," he said. Artist Balan Nambiar said over 120 biennales and triennials were being held by different countries and many of them were a big draw both in terms of cultural and economic developments.

Muhammed Afzal Edappakath of the political affairs and public diplomacy department at the Embassy of The Netherlands said cultural diplomacy which relies on soft power was now increasingly being recognized as the effective means to manage relations between countries. He emphasised that culture and creative industries were powerful drivers that would create jobs, enhance quality of life and bring lots of goodwill.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Kochi-Muziris-Biennale-offers-multi-dimensional-prospects/articleshow/15286825.cms

The Hindu Metroplus Theatre Fest is back (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/article3710730.ece)
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The Hindu MetroPlus Theatre Fest is back again. Three days of laughter, tears, history, drama and farce. Some of the best productions and best drama groups in the country will come together to give audiences three days of absolute entertainment.

The festival that was launched in Chennai in 2005 has turned into a major calendar event in five cities with shows in Kochi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore and Chennai. Kochi, this year, will see two acclaimed plays from Mumbai and a very ambitious production from Bangalore that is based on a script written by the inimitable Girish Karnad. The Kochi edition of the fest will kick-start on August 3 with Bombay Talkies, a play directed and scripted by Vikram Kapadia. The play is about life in Mumbai. Through monologues, eight citizens of the city talk about love, pain and joy, memories and fear, hopes and desires. These monologues help the audience experience life in Mumbai; the city where nearly 20 million people fight through struggle and survival, disillusionment and distress, corruption and chaos.

The Dreams Of Tipu Sultan by Jagriti, Bangalore, will be staged on the second day, August 4. The play attempts to go beyond the popular image of Tipu as a warrior and rebel and brings out Tipu the man, the visionary, the scientist and the dreamer.

The curtains will come down on the festival on August 5 with The Interview, a winner of four Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards including Best Actor and Best Play. The play is directed by Akarsh Khurana and produced by Akvarious Productions. From a normal setting the play transforms into a darkly comic exploration of the bizarre and the uncomfortable hurtling to an unexpected ending. All the plays will be held at Kerala Fine Arts Auditorium. All shows start at 7.30 p.m.

Sponsors — Title sponsor: BOSE, Hospitality sponsor: Dream Hotel, Associate sponsor: SFS Homes, Cultural Partner: Indian Council For Cultural Relations (ICCR), Mall sponsor: Oberon Mall, Event Manager: evam.

Tickets are priced at Rs. 300, Rs. 200 and Rs. 100. Student passes are available for Rs. 50. Season passes are available for Rs. 750 and Rs. 450. Tickets for all shows can be purchased online at www.thehindu.com/theatrefest, www.indianstage.in and www.bookmyshow.com. Tickets are available at DC Books, Nucleus Mall & Kurian Towers, DC Penguin, Bay Pride Mall and The Hindu Office, NH Bypass Road, Vyttila Junction, Kochi 19. Helpline numbers: 9496824175, (0) 98406 12333.

Kashi's Art Dreams soar higher with new owners (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/kochi/art-hub-changes-hands-011)


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Edgar Pinto, the new owner of Kashi Art Café.

Even as leading artists from far and wide are visiting Kochi during the run-up to the Kochi-Muziris Biennale to be held in December, there has been another equally significant event in Kochi’s art world.

Kashi Art Café, the city’s answer to Mumbai’s Leopold Café, and the tiny art gallery attached to it, has changed hands.

Though tucked away in a narrow street of Fort Kochi, it has been ushering in a silent art revolution over the last decade.

Anup and Dorrie, the visionary couple, who used to own the gallery, which served as a cultural window to the outside world, have moved on to Munnar, with the satisfaction that they have achieved what they set out to do in the dozen years that they ran the café and gallery.

Taking over the reins is Edgar Pinto, an art collector and owner of Old Harbour Hotel which is a stone’s throw away from Kashi.

Edgar, who has been collecting paintings by leading artists, is proud about his new acquisition. “Kashi has been the haunt of not only tourists but also art and music lovers, actors and filmmakers.

Several artists who exhibited here for the first time have gone on to make a name for themselves. The previous owners promoted art in a big and different way with unique shows and residency programmes.

I am pleased but I know it is a big challenge to continue the legacy that I have inherited.” The refurbished café is already open while the gallery will begin its second innings with a solo show by Mumbai-based Malayali artist Riyas Komu, who happens to be Edgar’s favourite artist.

For Riyas, who is the biennale’s director of programmes, it has been a tough task to create new works for the show called Condition that will be on from August 4 to October 30, even as he is in the thick of organising India’s first biennale.

Riyas has come up with seven new works — photographs, sculptures and paintings -- that are his comment on various aspects of contemporary Kerala society.

There is a self portrait that shows him cowering under some kind of threat and the artist admits that, at one level, it has to do with the challenges and complexities that he has been facing in his new role as an administrator.

The reference clearly is to the allegations that have been hurled against the team behind the biennale by a section of local artists.

There is an image of an easy chair, the typical one that every Malayali house had in the courtyard once, with a hammer and sickle symbol engraved on top.

The charukasera has become a symbol of what is unattainable for the average, ambitious Malayali of today.

There is another one called Puthiya Yakshi about greed symbolised by a male dog at the centre of a vaginal shaped golden plate with the image of a skull.

Riyas wants to drive home the point that while it may be women who wear gold, it is the male dominated society that drives the craze and also uses it as an exchange commodity in the marriage market. There are also a couple of complimentary pieces for literary works.

Edgar believes that Kochi and Kerala are poised for an exciting phase. Once, he points out, artists like Riyas had to go to Mumbai or other cities to work and make a living.

“Now, communication facilities like email have narrowed the boundaries and there are artists who even webcast their work. Instead of our artists going out, the world may come here,” he says.

celebrate Keralam makes a visual treat for Kochinites (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/An-arty-attempt-to-sum-up-India-in-50-frames/articleshow/16034351.cms)

An array of more than 50 photographs greets you at the MNF Art and Kerala History Museum, Edappally. The art and photography exhibition, held as part of the week-long Onam celebrations, Lavanyam 2012, organized by the district administration and tourism department, is a visual treat for the art-savvy.

The exhibition showcases works by eight photographers and portrays different cultures and traditions of the country. Talking to TOI at the venue, Imthias Kadeer, a businessman-turned photographer, said he travelled extensively across India to come out with the photos suitable for the exhibition.

Kadeer, who spends more than eight months a year travelling and clicking photographs, said his aim was to give a message to the public through each of his work.

Pointing to a photograph of a group of villagers cleaning a lake and its premises at Nubra Valley near Leh, Kadeer said it would make viewers guilty about their garbage dumping practices. "They might not change by just viewing this frame. But the message might leave an impact on their minds," he said.

Other frames are shot by K R Sunil, Ajay Mohan, N A Nazeer, Mirash K T, Saju Sreedharan, Madhu C Narayanan and Jayesh Mohan. The exhibition will conclude on September 5.

Permanent venue for arts events in Kochi planned


Prominent theatre personalities like film actor and director Revathy and playwright Kavalam Narayana Panicker have pledged support for the project

The city will soon have a permanent venue for staging different cultural art forms.

The support received from the public and cultural activists in staging the annual Onam celebrations, Lavanyam, this year prompted the district administration to develop a permanent platform to stage cultural programmes.

The open air theatre, which is under construction at Durbar Hall Grounds, proposes to stage programmes regularly on weekends.

The theatre will have a generator and a modern light and sound system along with other facilities.

Architects with expertise in setting open air theatre have been roped in for the project. Prominent theatre personalities like film actor and director Revathy and playwright Kavalam Narayana Panicker have pledged support for the project.

The district administration will also organise painting exhibitions and film festivals at the venue. During Onam this year, a drama fest was staged at Durbar Hall Grounds while other cultural programmes were held at Marine Drive. The Celebrating Kerala Happiness Festival was held at Patahdippalam outside the city limits on an experimental basis.

Cultural evening

Modern painting, instrumental music, and cultural evening were held at the Madhavan Nair Foundation. The District Collector P.I. Sheikh Pareed said that proper scheduling of Onam celebrations organised by municipalities would help attract people to these small towns as well.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/article3853576.ece

Arts to be hubbed at Aspinwall House

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Kochi's landmark iconic bldg- the Aspinwall House will now be identified as hub of arts. The 1.6 lakh sqft property shall be used as primary venue of Kochi Muziris Biennial 2012. MOU in this regard has been signed between Travancore Royal Family, the owners of Aspinwall House and Kochi Muziris Biennial Foundation.

A total space of 2.6 Lakh sqft built up space have been able to procure for conduct of India's first international biennial.

Other important venues will be

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1. Kochi Durbar Hall- Ernakulam

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2. The Cochin Club- The Lawns- Fort Kochi

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3. Pepper House- Calvatty

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4. David Hall- Kochi

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5. Old Mattancherry Wharf House- Mattancherry


Restoration works are underway in all the places, to match with its rustic and artistic looks.

Kochi turns into a global canvas (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/article3921715.ece)

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This December, the contemporary art world will move into the city for a three-month sojourn beginning ‘12/12/12’, the day the maiden Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) opens.

India’s first biennale is billed to be a watershed in the port city’s evolution — from being a crucible of ancient cultures into an international hub of contemporary art.

With just about two months to go for the event, Kochi’s hallowed spaces are waking up from their slumber to mix vestiges of a culturally-rich past with stark modern realities.

It will be a déjà vu moment when Fort Kochi’s historical Pepper House and several warehouses of Mattancherry that stocked goods in Kerala’s ancient spice trade open their doors to works of art from around the globe.

The birth

The biennale was mooted by eminent artists Riyas Komu and Bose Krishnamachari in 2010 at the instance of then Minister of Culture M. A. Baby. After a few rounds of talks, the government threw its weight behind the event and contributed Rs. five crore.

At Rs 3.5 crore, the ramshackle Durbar Hall building, the main exhibition space of the debut venture, was transformed into a more upmarket venue with climate control and lighting conforming to international gallery standards.

Initially, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale Foundation was hamstrung by a controversy over its use of public fund. The biennale team, however, bounced back to put things in perspective and sent its detractors to ignominy with a strong case for the art show.

Over the last two months scores of international and national artists trooped down to the city to do groundwork for their project at the event. Over 80 artists from 35 countries will take part in the non-commercial event occurring at spaces across the city.

“The biennale is a multi-discipline festival of contemporary art, and it is city-wide, so the artists participating are not restricted to the large enclosed venues,” says Michelangelo Bendandi, KMB communications director.

“For example Ariel Hassan's piece will include projections and distribution of a text via stands at multiple locations. Another artist’s proposal [is to have the show] is on a boat and yet another’s is an interactive piece in a public ground. Murals, street art, sound pieces and projections will be located in public places around the city, not just at biennale venues.”

Government support

Enamoured of the rich dividends of the art carnival, Mayor Tony Chammany is going the whole hog to extend the corporation’s support.

“We would like to offer our halls for the conduct of biennale-related programmes. A decision on this would be taken following discussions at the council and with the people,” he says.

Last month, the corporation supported a contemporary mural camp in the build-up to the biennale by offering its Pallath Raman Hall and the adjacent open-air theatre in Fort Kochi.

“We are in constant touch with the KMB team as Kochi needs such an event to ascertain its rightful place on the world tourism and art map. The corporation is resolute on doing everything within its powers to ensure that its halls and public grounds are made available for the event,” says K.J. Sohan, chairman of the corporation’s town planning standing committee.

Dominic Presentation, MLA, intends to organise a meeting of the biennale team with the Chief Minister and the Minister of Culture so that the event receives all possible support from the government.

“Knowing the kind of people visiting the art show over three months, this is sure to give a fillip to the tourism sector,” says Mr. Presentation.

But the government doesn’t intend to be generous with money anymore. Culture secretary Sajan Peter says while the government wouldn’t loosen its purse any further for the biennale, it will support the event by offering its infrastructure. “They have asked for more venues. Besides Durbar Hall, other venues will also be made available free of cost,” he says.

For the biennale organisers, the event is a game-changer for Kochi. The artists on bloke comprise a judicious mix of Indian and international, but the focus has been on creating a contemporary visual art idiom and initiating Kochi’s dialogue with modern art.

Apart from cementing people-to-people ties and bonding, it will trigger all-round economic growth in tourism and hospitality industries. Local artists stand to benefit from international exposure, they say.

Door to history

Biennale is a reminder of history. It connects modern art to the 600-old heritage of Kochi and further to its mythical past enriched by the ancient port of Muziris that disappeared in the 14th century.

“The history of the old port and the Muziris Heritage Project, basically a conservation project, will add value to KMB,” says conservation architect Benny Kuriakose, the force behind the heritage project. Understandably, Muziris area — Kodungallur and Paravur — will be sites for the display of sculptures during the biennale.

Kochi gets Biennale city tag (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Kochi-gets-Biennale-city-tag/articleshow/16706334.cms)
Giving the official nod to the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012, the international exhibition of contemporary art, the corporation declared Kochi as the Biennale city on Saturday. The local body also sought support of individuals and private entities to make the event a mega hit.

Expressing willingness to provide various venues owned by the corporation for the mega event, Mayor Tony Chammany said Kochi was ready to welcome international artists arriving for the Biennale.

"The event's venues such as Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Kochi city, Kodungallur and Paravoor are getting ready to host the exhibition," he said.

The mayor hoped that biennale would help attracting tourists. "All doubts regarding the event, which will provide a new face for the city, will be cleared before it begins," said Chammany.

To oversee the preparations, cultural affairs minister K C Joseph and department secretary Sajan Peter would visit the venues on October 28, he said.

Ajit Patil, secretary of the corporation, said Biennale would help promote the profile of the city as a cultural landscape and act as a catalyst of change.

Riyas Komu, one of the organisers of the Biennale, said permanent structures would be installed at various venues. He added that any contribution to the Kochi Biennale Foundation was open to scrutiny and accounting, and would be used only for a common cause.

As many as 80 artists from 35 countries were expected to participate in the event, which would attract 80 lakh domestic and 8.5 lakh foreign tourists in the inaugural year.

"The Biennale, which is held for the first time in India, would place the country firmly on the global map," said Komu.

Bose Krishnamachari, president of the Foundation, hailed the declaration as a major development, and said that it would make a big difference to the event.

Deputy mayor B Bhadra was also present at the press conference.

The Art is going to be pepped up at Historic Pepper House (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/kochi/godown-spices-taste-fort-kochi-084)

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Pepper House in Kalavathy, Fort Kochi may not have any particular reason to catch a tourist’s eye.

But it is a landmark in Indian history and a favourite place for many historians. For, it is here that the roots of colonisation grew on Indian soil.

Situated on Kalavathy Road between Fort Kochi and Bazaar Road, Pepper House, which only recently got its name, was the grand godown of spices in Kochi during colonisation since 1503.

After they anchored in Kochi in 1500, the Portuguese built a fort named Immanuel in West Kochi (hence Fort Kochi).

The godown was built as part of the fort. The building has two godowns, one overlooking the waterfront and the other facing the street.

The structures with clay tiled roofs are separated by a courtyard. The stream near Pepper House was the main channel that connected the Arabian Sea with Kochi’s inner streams.

Hence Portuguese ships used to anchor near Pepper House, where Indian farmers came to trade spices.

The channel was used by the British to make an entry in 1773. Pepper House witnessed a significant landmark in Indian history in 1947 when it became one of the few places in the country to lower the British flag.

Pepper House was recently renovated as part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) project. “We wanted it to be a venue of the project as it has witnessed all the important moments in colonial history,” said Bonny Thomas, research coordinator of KMB.

Biennale will open the world to Kochi, says Madhavan (http://www.asianage.com/kochi/biennale-will-open-world-kochi-says-madhavan-378)
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Kochi Muziris Biennale will be the great opening to the world of art.

“For the harbour city which once opened its doors to the myriad world of trade, this Biennale will now open the world to Kochi,” is how writer N.S. Madhavan sees this mega event taking place here on December 12.

Madhavan, who held a heritage walk in Fort Kochi across David Hall, Aspinwall and Pepper House, recounted that a similar event, though on a smaller scale, was held in 1965 by Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT), styled as an all-India art exhibition.

“That exhibition threw up great artists like Paris Vishwanathan to the world; and (young) Aravindan, much before he became a renowned director, was the art curator, while Adoor Gopalakrishnan the film curator.”

Way back in the 90s, similar events on a smaller scale were held in New Delhi every three years. But, this event in December will be a different platform with all eyes from the world watching.

And this should also give Kochi and the state, known for the culture of openness, ‘a new honour,’ making it a centre of the art world.

It was in the 90s that Venice held a Biennale. Madhavan remembers walking around with artists across the streets there. “The Kochi event excites me. The buzz is missing because it is the first one,” he says.

About the controversy on whether Kochi should host such a mega event, Madhavan says controversies are natural in a democracy.

When the Vallarpadam terminal was set up, a campaign came up against relaxing the shipping rules. “You are welcome to say how the door should be, but you cannot block the view,” he adds.

Biennial to Tech the Art for Kochi (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/education/taking-tech-he%E2%80%98art%E2%80%99-724)

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IIT Mumbai students at Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012 education programme’s first session.

What has technology got to do with art? Well, some students from IIT Mumbai, who came down to Kochi for the first session of Kochi-Muziris Biennale’s 2012 education programme, plan to take up a research to identify ways of useful collaboration between technology and art.

Sajal Nagwanshi, a first-year master’s student of IIT, Mumbai, considers this a very different experience — having come down and visited the several heritage sites in Kochi for an educational programme. “If artists use paint to highlight a particular subject, we’ll be making use of technology here,” adds Sajal.

The outcome of the project would result in the creation of works for a student exhibition as part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012.

The students will return here two weeks before the Kochi-Muziris Biennale opens (12.12.12) to start work on their projects for exhibition during the three-month-long programme.

Another student, Harshika Amin from the Center for Environmental Planning and Technology(CEPT) University, had been to Kochi, but never got an opportunity to visit the heritage sites.

She says, “It was an exciting experience to interact with the artistes who are working for the Biennale. Most of the heritage sites are not open to the public, but we got an opportunity to see Kochi and Muziris sites.”

The four students of CEPT plan to come up with a collaborative work for display during the opening, which will be a work related to Kochi.

The purpose of visiting these Kochi and Muziris sites is to help the students understand how the region was a global hub even long before the emergence of Kochi as a city.

The cosmopolitan heritage of Kochi is the conceptual framework behind the first Biennale, so it is important to connect both the artistic and educational programmes with that legacy.

Prof. Nikam of J.J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai, says, “Biennales are there all over the world, but this is for the first time that upcoming artists are given a chance to display their works. It is surely a golden opportunity in a student’s career.

Kochi in Art festive mood

All gearing up for India's first Art Biennale starting from 12/12/12

Kochi's famous Bastion Bungalow (the last remains of Stormsburg Fort) will be converted into a Museum. Currently its the residence of Ernakulam Sub-Collector. Kerala Museums will be incharge in redesigning and developing Bastion Bungalow into suitable Museum

http://epaper.mathrubhumi.com/epaperimages/29102012/29102012-md-ek-17/34725375.JPG

Kochi Muziris Biennale 2012

The historic Fort Kochi, is geared up in artistic expressions for hoisting India's first and largest international Art Biennale 2012. Almost all heritage sites are now redeveloped and walls getting adorned with artistic taste.

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The famous historic sites like Aspinwall House which play itself as the key host with 1.6 lakh sqft art gallery and Pepper House are getting renovated to match with glitz and glamour of an international art event

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Kochi Muziris Biennale 2012

The historic Fort Kochi, is geared up in artistic expressions for hoisting India's first and largest international Art Biennale 2012. Almost all heritage sites are now redeveloped and walls getting adorned with artistic taste.

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:ohno: wat they r doing? do they think graffitis give more historic look???

:ohno: wat they r doing? do they think graffitis give more historic look???

Its art man, not history... The sites which were completely covered in creepers, rust and leaky walls have been completely redeveloped and decorated with art... Anyway, it gives more artful feeling than its previous horrible condition....

The Hindu brings in another cultural extravangance for enthrilling Kochinites

After successfully hoisting Hindu Metroplus Theatre Festival in Kochi for more than 2 years, The Hindu brings in another in-house prestigious event for Kochinites.

Friday Review The November Fest 2012 (http://www.thehindu.com/system/topicRoot/Friday_review_November_Fest/)

which promises 3 days of unmatched musical experience for music lovers of Kerala. Kochi is the only city from Kerala to host The Hindu's branded festivals along with other Southern Metro cities....

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Kochi hosted the largest Thiruvathira Gathering in the city

To be notified in Limca Book of Records

300 Ladies, from girls to old age, performed the ritualist dance- Thiruvathirakali in Changampuzha Park in traditional manner, encircling in 4 rows around the traditional lamp.

Thiruvathirakali is a traditional dance, performed by Nair/Kshatriya/Nampoothiri ladies in honour of Lord Shiva, to longevity of marital status.

http://epaper.mathrubhumi.com/epaperimages/5112012/5112012-md-ek-1/21831312.JPG

^^^^^^^^^^^^

IGeHdX7WtWU

th9FuXVtfo4

the biennale thing is turning out to be much bigger than i expected......
Fort kochi graffitti looks pretty hip.the biennale official facebook page has put up some intersting pictures on what's currently up and what to expect.
Could've been nice to see somebody post those pictures here(giving credit of course).
M.i.a is also expected to perform.

Looking at the scale of events and that its supposed to repeat every 2 years, i gotta feeling it deserves a thread for itself.i'm expecting an explosion of news on muziris and biennale sometime in december.

Fort Kochi turns itself into Fort Graffiti

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CC:- Vishnu Rajan with full rights to Routecochin.com. The above image is published by FB group

Its an Artevolution in Kochi

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Brightly coloured art graffiti catches your eye as you walk down the old Calvathy Street in Fort Kochi. This striking curiosity on the history-plastered high walls of Draavidia Art Gallery makes one wonder about the people behind the work. Images of life on this narrow street, busy with spice trade, and rich with the remains of an Arabian past form part of this gigantic work. Enquire around about the makers of this unusual art work and you are led to a group of young artists who call themselves, Backyard Civilisation.

By the distinctive work one knows that unconventionality is their byword. “We are open to all kinds of art and ideas. As far as we are concerned, art is public property and that’s why we are painting the street building. This graffiti works like an open gallery. People come to see this round-the-clock,” says young poet and group member, Latheesh Mohan who has published two poetry collections, Chevikal and Chembarathikal. One of his poems, Pala Upamakalil Manjukalam is part of the MG University MA Malayalam syllabus.

The heterogeneous group of 25 visual, language, sound and culinary artistes believes in a public face of the art process.

They are currently working, in their respective mediums, on three spaces (old warehouses) down the heritage rich Calvathy-Bazaar Road—Bamboo House, Draavidia Art Gallery and the old Kashi Gallery. All these spaces have been renamed Draavidia Gallery 1, 2, 3.

The wall art called, Calvathy Street Project, is led by 24-year-old Shanto Antony from Thrissur. He says, “We have been living here for the past three months and have been observing the lives of the people around us. We took their photos and have painted them.” So there is the Umma who happily interacts with the young group, Khalid the ghazal singer who runs a shop opposite the gallery, the goats that graze around, the birds that perch on the wall… all form a part of the art.

Atmaja Ammi, an artist-curator and participant, is against the idea of a conventional gallery or art space. “The traditional gallery set up is exclusive and keeps the process of art away from the people. Here, they can see the artist at work and realise that it is not an easy job. Actually, a gallery itself should be a piece of art,” she says.

And that’s exactly what the Draavidia Gallery 1 is now, a colourful piece of art.

Interactive art process

Atmaja adds that as expression of artists keeps changing, so does the process. She has held shows across India and says that Malayalis are very sensitive to art and will never miss an opportunity to see it; hence this public interface will generate more response.

Latheesh believes that art practices have changed after the economic boom and it should be more in the public domain.

“We have different kinds of artists working in the group, visual artists, photographers, filmmakers, painters, and the culinary artists. Actually, all of us are united by this art of cooking. We all cook,” says Latheesh, with a laugh.

The group connects warmly over food, their kitchen being headed by Shobin Francis. Shanto makes excellent beef biriyani, the group members disclose. “I look for the distinctive colour combinations in the biriyani,” says Shanto modestly. Laiju Y. from Adoor, who is currently doing his PhD in Film Studies from MG University, is the digital curator of the group. He is working on a photography collection to be exhibited soon.

His group on Flicker, ‘Life In India’, has 2,800 members and 6,000 images in different categories. Saneesh Sebastian from Kottayam is working on a script for a feature film. He is documenting the daily life of the people in Mattancherry and also the activities of the group. The group funds itself. “We work, earn and put aside part of our earnings towards our activities,” says Latheesh.

The poets in the group, led by Latheesh, plan to hold Performing Poetry sessions. “There are many budding poets in Kerala, writing in Malayalam. We call ourselves the New Age Romantics of Malayalam Poetry,” says Latheesh.

They recently held a poetry session, Occha, at Gallery 2 in Bazaar Road where poets Anvar Ali, Kuzhur Wilson, Krispin Joseph, Manoj Kuroor, M.R. Vishnu Prasad and S. Kannan read their works.

A Nigerian poet Efe Okogu too is part of the group. Sitar player Vinod Shankar, who has made Mattancherry his home for the past two years, played on the occasion.

So here is real out-of-the-box art, in a fresh coat of paint.

Kochi into Art Wakda

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CC:- Jose Peters and Vishnu Rajan

Courtesy to Route Cochin

Kochi getting really ARTY

The Durbar Hall unveiled the Mural Elephant

The wooden Elephant painted with stories of Vishnupuranam, have the famous Kerala Mural painting- Gajendramoksham (Liberation of Elephant by Lord Vishnu) painted on its face. The elephant will be on permanent display at Kochi's celebrated Durbar Hall, the new Icon of this historical monument

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Hariharan Swastik, Dileep Swastik who made the elephant and other Mural paintings.

CC:- Vishnu Rajan of Routecochin.co

Infact, I feel, we were all art-illiterate.... I never couldn't appreciate this much of potential, Art has within itself to make a city to drap in colors and creative.

To be honest, Kochi Muziris Biennial is something, beyond any imagination, something the MOST BEST to happen for our city.

Within days or months, the term Muziris became so-synonymous and so popular even among outsiders, that they can start recollecting it to Kochi and art.... Yesterday I happened to see a travel agency in Abu Dhabi, putting an ad display of a conducted tour in Kochi. Its not uncommon, as we have seen many N number of ad posters of Kerala tourism in many travel agencies. But what really surprised me, that the way huge branding and focus given to the term MUZIRIS.

When enquired, they said, the promotion is to cater tourists in preparation of Biennial.... I didn't have a camera with me that time, to take the pic... But felt so proud and heart filled with joy, to see how this ancient port, whose death created our city- Kochi now makes itself back to glory.....

In this context, the focus of our administrators must be setting up an iconic structure, somewhere in Kodungallur- the site of ancient Muziris, which should be permanent venue for celebrating fine arts... Something like Opera House of Sydney, an icon that lies testimony once Kerala's biggest port and a civilization.

^^ I havnt really understood the importance of the event to be honest. What is this going to do for Kochi and what are they going to do for 3 months?

^^ I havnt really understood the importance of the event to be honest. What is this going to do for Kochi and what are they going to do for 3 months?

Thats the problem of much of us, including me as we commoners are basically illiterate when comes to fine arts....

Several such international biennials across Paris, Vienna, Florence etc are venues for celebration of fine arts, as festivals, much like say Shopping festivals are meant for us...

The event will comprises of nearly 200 painting and art exhibitions, discourses on art, seminars, meetings, cultural events etc etc... Its more or less, venues for people to come and talk all about art....Its an educational experience too, all aiming to make Kochi, the art destination of Kerala.....

For many of us, Art is just like how Mamootty say in Pranchiyettan... Ofcourse its nothing because we are illiterate... Over years of exposure to more and more events like this, we too will shed that...

I still remember, DH hall was one of the most neglected structures in Kochi. Lalitha Kala Academy hosts many painting events, only to be attended by Bujis.... Now its not like that. For past one, DH hall emerged to a bustling center. Most of expos entertains huge crowds.... News regularly come out of events. The attitude towards such are changing....

Now Art Galleries itself has emerged into a major business streams... One can find so many small galleries, across Kochi several small scale exhibitions and one day events and many making good profit thro' sale of art.... I know one man, who was just paint for passion, as he being a lawyer... Now he makes atleast 50K to 60K in a month, due to regular exhibitions at a small gallery near South Railway station.......... Now he is planning to construct a 10,000 sqft own gallery in Vypeen, his home place....

Dear Sree,

Just like various film festivals held across the globe, Biennale is a festival of contemporary art.

among all film festivals ,Cannes is the most famous and thats one thing that makes that place known to everyone.

Perhaps Kochi would become a contemporary art destination by this.

Kerala has rich Multi cultural Heritage which it has inherited over ages from all over the world , I would say big share of that was because of Muziris. It also has its own very unique colorful art forms like kathakali, theyyam mural paintings , the oldest martial Art Kalari payatu. <I am stopping here because,i can go on and on :-)>

Just see how Vibrant it is.
do you think such a legacy has got its share of recognition. forget Recognition We have forgotten what we are, How we were.
I am also very happy that its called Muziris. because the most vibrant and golden times of our land was during that time.
Muziris times where the Times when Entire world wanted to visit us. It was one of the epicenters of Ancient Maritime history.

I sincerely hope that this legacy comes alive again and gives every Keralite an opportunity to Look back and know themselves.

Some one rightly said This Event should have happened here much before and there is no other place which is more worthy to host such an event.

All the best to this Event.

^^Thanks for the replies guys.

It’s carnival time for dog lovers in Kochi

KOCHI:The Jawaharlal Nehru stadium is witnessing an altogether different ball game this weekend - the 14th, 15th and 16th dog show championships being organized by the Canine Club of Cochin.

Though the decline in space and the hassle of maintenance have been discouraging many from owning a pet, the dog show seeks to revise the trend, said Richard S Luiz of Canine Club of Cochin.

Nearly 300 dogs are being showcased over two days in categories including toy, utility, hound, pastoral and terrier with participations from Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Goa and Chennai.

With people preferring to buy certified breeds, dog breeders in Kochi are upbeat about the increasing awareness on good stock.

Advocate Vineeth R Menon, a breeder of daschunds and boxers, says: "People are willing to spend on dogs with a good lineage. Genuine buyers now demand a three-generation certificate issued by the Kennel Club of India." Breeders are now importing good stock from abroad to strengthen their lineage and personally help buyers pick breeds suitable to their lifestyle.

Kerala is emerging as a pit stop for dog lovers, and the number one stop for rottweiler's. The market is set to boom, said Chris 'Wolf', MD and chief trainer at Wolf N Pack Dog Training and K-9 Security Services Pvt Ltd. "Growing a pure blood line is like hitting a jackpot. However, people's reasons for owning a dog are misplaced," he adds.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Its-carnival-time-for-dog-lovers-in-Kochi/articleshow/17176236.cms

It's so bad that such a huge event is in bad news once again. Anything and everything ends in controversy in Kerala!

It's so bad that such a huge event is in bad news once again. Anything and everything ends in controversy in Kerala!

See, when you have huge number of jobless people, many still harbouring erstwhile socialist legacies and thinking govt and govt agencies will do all the things, we can expect a lot of such stuff......

This Durbar Hall, this Lalit Kala Academy and these painters were there in Kerala for long time... How many of general public, ever though to stepping into DH Hall 3 years back? Today its a bustling center, because of the quality....

Govt can spend 6 crore for entertaining guests for emerging Kerala. But when similarly a private foundation does for 2 crore, it becomes scam, scandal and stuff like that....

Hypocrisy to the core

^^

+ 1

I believe, it is better to ignore 'small scale scandals', if it has happened, when the branding the event is creating for Kerala and Kochi is immensely huge. Just see it as an adv fees!

Biennale’s here, but will it find takers in crowd? (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/biennales-here-but-will-it-find-takers-in-crowd/article4090166.ece)
http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01266/ASPINWALL_1266898f.jpg
Aspinwall, a venue for Kochi-Muziris Biennale

As a raging debate over the Kochi-Muziris Biennale sweeps the State, a chunk of the city’s celebrities is blissfully unaware of the storm kicked up by the latest round of controversy about the use of public funds by the Kochi Biennale Foundation. Worse, a vast majority of them — mostly film personalities — is completely in the dark about the existence of the entity, which is working in the city for over a year now to organise a colossal global visual art event lasting three months from December 12.

“Biennale! I’m sorry I’ve not heard that word before,” exclaimed a young high-flying playback singer when The Hindu asked her opinion on the contemporary art show.

The response of half a dozen cine stars, a couple of writers, some socialites and a few prominent entrepreneurs to the query was more or less on similar lines. Many chose to parry it with excuses of being tied down with shooting, with little time to track daily news. A thinking actor-turned-scriptwriter and director bounced it back to this correspondent. “It appears that the project is ambitious, lofty and pertinent for a city like Kochi, but if someone like Kanayi Kunhiraman, a genuine artist, is opposing it, there must be a reason.”

What became apparent from conversations with the city’s who’s who is that there is still a lingering, perhaps relative dearth of clarity on the conceptual, artistic framework and magnitude of the biennale. Sebastian Paul, former MP and media critic, addressed the issue head on.

“The Kerala society demands credibility and transparency on the part of anyone coming up with such projects. Just as it wants E. Sreedharan to spearhead the Kochi Metro project, it would probably look up to some reputed artists from then State to lead an event of this scale. Naturally, they are apprehensive about the project being executed by two expat Malayali artists. The biennale, as I’ve understood it, has the potential to turn the city around, but the organisers have failed, in the first place, to sensitise the public to its advantages. Further, they never really seemed to have attempted to rope in Kerala’s veteran artists to be part of it,” he summed up.

Veteran artist and former Kerala Lalithakala Academy Chairman C.N. Karunakarn exuded optimism, terming the forthcoming event a golden opportunity for the State to have a cultural exchange with the contemporary international art world. Theatre personality Prof. Chandradasan harbours a liking for the concept of biennale, as it would catalyse fine arts, even commercial arts, in Kochi with the business-driven economy. “But the question is how biennale is going to express itself. Its success will depend heavily on the strength of its connect with Kochi’s life, issues, concerns and arts,” he said.

For Maneesha Panicker, owner of a city-based international travel company operating between India and the US, biennale would place Kochi on the global map. “With top-notch artists trooping down to the city, the engagement will have larger dimensions, prompting people to weigh art and art history as career options. Such an event is best executed in the PPP model, with artists enjoying the freedom to handpick global participants,” she observed.

The biennale coincides with the Cochin Carnival, which will be under way from December 9 to January 1.

Kochi gets own literary festival

Famed Afghan artist Amanullah Mojadidi released the logo for what would be Kochi’s own annual literary festival ‘Annual Rings’ here on Monday, opening up a niche for contemporary literature and a space of their own for local narratives of a world as experienced by what we call the community of Malayalis.

Annual Rings will be the literary segment of Kochi Biennale. It will, from now on, be an annual feature and the space for local and contemporary literature that reflects the life and art of the times, said Riaz Komu, trustee, Kochi Biennale Foundation. Annual Rings is meant to be an annual feature in the city that is steeped in history and whose life has been reflected in several literary works, said Bonny Thomas, artist, who is part of the Biennale.

Bonny’s sketches on the novel Lanthan Batheriyile Luthiniyakal ( Litanies of the Dutch Battery ) by N. S. Madhavan brought the flavour of Kochi and its numerous islands to the readers.

Madhavan and Sethu were among the writers honoured at the release of the logo. Sethu’s Marupiravi brings Muziris to life and, in a way, recalls the origin of the geographical entity we call Kerala today.

It is apt that both the writers are honoured because Kochi Biennale is centred around Kochi as well as its historic neighbour Muziris, said Mr. Komu.

Annual Rings is drawn up as Kochi’s own literary festival, said Sreekumar A.V. of DC Books, which is partnering Kochi Biennale Foundation this year for the festival. Writer P. Balachandran and Kochi Biennale trustees Subhash Chandran, Bose Krishnamachari and Mr. Komu were among those present.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/kochi-gets-own-literary-festival/article4092581.ece

Preparations on for grand art event (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Preparations-on-for-grand-art-event/articleshow/17206998.cms)
Bangalore: Preparations are on for for Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012 (http://www.kochimuzirisbiennale.org/), the largest international contemporary art event ever to take place in India soon. The trials are witnessing a collaboration between artists, government, private art patrons and international cultural organisations.

Artists are travelling to Kochi, Kerala, from across India and the globe to conduct research, select spaces and develop proposals for site-specific projects. Artists from Australia, Afghanistan, UAE, South Korea, Argentina, Netherlands, UK, and all over India have started work on projects for exhibition at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012 which opens to the public from December 12.

Primary Biennale venues include the 150-year-old Durbar Hall in downtown Kochi, recently renovated by the Kochi Biennale Foundation, and David Hall, a restored Dutch bungalow in Fort Kochi. Spice warehouses, heritage structures, theatres, halls and public spaces are also on the map of this city-wide festival of art.

Pepper House, a historic spice trading godown with Dutch-style clay roofs and a large courtyard, once used to store goods for loading onto ships anchored in Kochi harbour, will provide the event 16,000 sq ft of exhibition space and artist residency studios.

According to the organisers, Kochi-Muziris Biennale's aim is to establish a sustainable platform for contemporary art in India.

http://travel.cnn.com/mumbai/visit/india-art-calendar-2012-643338

India art events worth traveling for in 2012
Why we want to go to Mumbai, Chennai and Kochi before the end of the year
By Deepika Sorabjee 26 January, 2012


Start the year with Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai as art destinations then pencil in an oil massage after the Kochi Biennale at the year’s end.

January, New Delhi: India Art Fair changes things up


India's biggest art fair starts off 2012 with a bang.

The India Art Fair comes of age through a partnership with Art Hong Kong co-founders Sandy Angus and Will Ramsay.

This means becoming a part of the largest network of art fairs in the world. Big name galleries from Europe like Hauser & Wirth, Galleria Continua and White Cube are participating while the Lisson Gallery returns for the third time.

Closing on January 29, the fourth India Art Fair is a chance to see original works by Miro, Picasso, Antony Gormley, Mona Hatoum and Damien Hirst.

Also on CNNGo: New Delhi's India Art Fair explodes this year

This year, the talks at the Speaker's Forum will be free and an initiative called "India Art Fair Collector's Circle" will run seminars, studio visits and curated walks with the aim of removing the intimidation of engaging with art.

www.indiaartfair.in



February, Mumbai: The German invasion


"The House of the Atlanteans" by Miguel Rothschild is part of "Examples to Follow!"

One of Europe's most prominent cultural debaters, Adrienne Goehler conceptualized the "Examples to Follow!" exhibition that has traveled internationally and will come to Mumbai February 5 to March 10.

Goehler's project attempts to bring aesthetics and sustainability into focus through contemporary art. A range of sculptures, video works, photographs, performances and installations address the cultural dimension of sustainability.

The exhibition is also designed to be a think tank for artists, scientists, inventors and visitors to come up with new eco-solutions. Documentaries, workshops and panel discussions will accompany the exhibition.

This monumental show has involved Indian and German artists. Sharmila Samant, Madhushree Dutta, Ravi Agarwal and Manish Nai have been co-opted into the show alongside Gustavo Romano, Petra Maitz, and Dina Shenhav.

"Examples to Follow!" will open in two phases on February 4 and February 12, spread across five galleries including Galerie Max Mueller, Studio X, Premchand Roychand Gallery, Project 88 and Gallery Maskara.

See details at origin-www.goethe.de



March, Chennai: Spotlighting the south


Last year, Art Chennai used a wall of the Taj Coromandel hotel to take art out into public spaces.

From March 11-18, the annual Art Chennai engages the art community through shows and talks.

Strategically positioned in the south of the country, this is a hub for galleries from Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kochi to increase their artists' viewership.

Art Chennai does not have a consolidated venue like the India Art Fair in Delhi, instead, it functions out of a main hotel venue and several of the city’s private galleries for that one week.

Like last year, when artworks lit up the side facade of the Taj Coromandel, this year too, there will be several public installations including "Catastrophe" which will be on Marina beach.

The expo also includes "To Let The World In," a four-part exhibition by art historian and curator Chaitanya Sambrani, which brings together the work of about 30 multigenerational contemporary artists about the narrative movement in India. To be held at the Lalit Kala Regional Centre from March 15-April 10.

www.artchennai.com



December, Kochi: The big deal


Poster for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India's most anticipated year-end art event.

What everyone in the art community is truly excited about this year: the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB)

The build-up started in June 2010 when India debuted at the Venice Biennale with its own pavilion.

Now we finally get our own art biennale.

The KMB, a non-profit art event set to launch this December, is co-founded by artists Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu and organized by the Kochi Biennale Foundation.

It hopes to introduce ambitious contemporary international visual art practices and theory to India and to showcase new Indian and international art.

The Durbar Hall in Kochi, the primary venue for the biennale, has been renovated and will serve as a community gallery for local and international shows throughout the year.

Other non-traditional venues in Fort Kochi, Matancherry and surrounding islands will be used during the biennale as well.

But in a conceptual coup of sorts, Muziris, the ancient port, has been co-opted as the other venue of the biennale.

An archaeological site that has unearthed exciting finds, the port's 19th-century heritage buildings are undergoing renovation. Now you can see contemporary art alongside.

Adequate transport is being organized between the sites; like Venice, you have an option to get to them by boat.

www.kochimuzirisbiennale.org




Having studied medicine at Bombay's oldest medical college, Deepika focuses on passions she could not study.
Read more about Deepika Sorabjee

Kendra Sangeetha Nataka Academy to host Music-Dance festival as part of Biennial (http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/art-and-theatre/sangeet-natak-akademi-to-organise-dances-at-kochi-biennale_122861.htm)

Sangeet Natak Akademi, India`s national academy for music, dance and drama, will help organise traditional dances at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale-2012 - the country`s first biennale art festival to be held in Kochi, Kerala, next month.

The Akademi will bring artistes from Assam and Manipur to perform Sathriya dance and martial arts dance during the three-month-long art festival, said a statement issued by organisers Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) Thursday.

The art show will see participation of 88 artists from about 35 countries, including 40 from India, exhibiting their artworks created from a variety of mediums such as films, paintings, sculptures, new media and performance art.

M.I.A. comes to Kochi, to create art (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/kochi/mia-comes-kochi-create-art-367)

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“Art is something that should not be confined to the four walls of a gallery but taken to the masses,” says M.I.A., the British artist-cum-singer now in Kochi to be part of the Kochi Biennalle. The outspoken bold singer who doesn’t fail to surprise even once and is known for her thrilling performance at the 51st Grammy awards — where she performed while she was nine months pregnant — M.I.A. can’t wait to be part of India’s first major art event.

“I want to use art as a vehicle to bridge the gap between the east and west,” says the British artist-cum-singer of Tamil descent, as she contemplates a new dawn in Indian art with the upcoming Biennale. The youngster who collaborated with A.R. Rahman for the song O Sayya... in Slumdog Millionaire is upbeat about being a part of anything India, especially Kerala; and she has a special reason for that. “My first album, Sunshine, was pictured here years ago,” says M.I.A., who has a not-so-enviable past attached to her.

Daughter of Arul Pragasam, a Tamil Sri Lankan engineer who played an active part in the civil war there, her childhood in Jaffna was marred with painful sights of torture in the hands of Sri Lankan soldiers. The family that was taken to India by Arul soon shifted to the UK where M.I.A.’s mom worked hard to bring up her two kids while her father fought for Tamil rights in Sri Lanka. M.I.A. even addressed her father who came visiting them to India as ‘uncle,’ so as to hide his identity. A trained artist, M.I.A. came into the limelight in 2004 for her singles, Sunshowers and Galang. She has been nominated for two Grammy awards and the Mercury Prize. She released her debut album, Arular, in 2005, and the second album, Kala, in 2007; both to universal critical acclaim. M.I.A. recently released a book containing her works of art that are a melange of bright colours and flashy prints that truly define her as a person.

In the pages of her eponymous book, she explains the unifying impact technology, politics and fame have on her work. “Art has really evolved me as a person,” says M.I.A., who doesn’t believe in blindly following the West. “New India is so plastic. It’s an irony that when the Western world too is taking lessons from ancient Indian wisdom, people out here are moving away from it.”

British artist-cum-singer M.I.A., who is in Kochi to take part in the Biennale, opens up about her past, albums and her understanding of art.

M.I.A. comes to Kochi, to create art (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/kochi/mia-comes-kochi-create-art-367)

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTpUAapZAcdfS62-ROmgQIm-3t70N7kBXFftfuvhIkLZ3Xd7MBZ


“Art is something that should not be confined to the four walls of a gallery but taken to the masses,” says M.I.A., the British artist-cum-singer now in Kochi to be part of the Kochi Biennalle. The outspoken bold singer who doesn’t fail to surprise even once and is known for her thrilling performance at the 51st Grammy awards — where she performed while she was nine months pregnant — M.I.A. can’t wait to be part of India’s first major art event.

“I want to use art as a vehicle to bridge the gap between the east and west,” says the British artist-cum-singer of Tamil descent, as she contemplates a new dawn in Indian art with the upcoming Biennale. The youngster who collaborated with A.R. Rahman for the song O Sayya... in Slumdog Millionaire is upbeat about being a part of anything India, especially Kerala; and she has a special reason for that. “My first album, Sunshine, was pictured here years ago,” says M.I.A., who has a not-so-enviable past attached to her.

Daughter of Arul Pragasam, a Tamil Sri Lankan engineer who played an active part in the civil war there, her childhood in Jaffna was marred with painful sights of torture in the hands of Sri Lankan soldiers. The family that was taken to India by Arul soon shifted to the UK where M.I.A.’s mom worked hard to bring up her two kids while her father fought for Tamil rights in Sri Lanka. M.I.A. even addressed her father who came visiting them to India as ‘uncle,’ so as to hide his identity. A trained artist, M.I.A. came into the limelight in 2004 for her singles, Sunshowers and Galang. She has been nominated for two Grammy awards and the Mercury Prize. She released her debut album, Arular, in 2005, and the second album, Kala, in 2007; both to universal critical acclaim. M.I.A. recently released a book containing her works of art that are a melange of bright colours and flashy prints that truly define her as a person.

In the pages of her eponymous book, she explains the unifying impact technology, politics and fame have on her work. “Art has really evolved me as a person,” says M.I.A., who doesn’t believe in blindly following the West. “New India is so plastic. It’s an irony that when the Western world too is taking lessons from ancient Indian wisdom, people out here are moving away from it.”

British artist-cum-singer M.I.A., who is in Kochi to take part in the Biennale, opens up about her past, albums and her understanding of art.

Love this lady...she has the "I-don't-give-a-fuck-if-you-hate-me" attitude :P

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^^ WoW !!!:cheers:

Malabar Mappila Art forms Via Route Cochin (https://www.facebook.com/routecochin.co)

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Muziris to celebrate the tales of Silappthrikaram as part of Kochi Muziris Biennale (http://english.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?contentId=12935877&tabId=1&programId=11565535)

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Sixteen centuries after 'Silappthikaram' was penned, the spirit of women's power that defines the Tamil epic poem is set to be staged in an ancient Kerala solo theatre format at its very place of birth.

Thus, a village in Thrissur district is bracing up for a two-day 'Nangiar Koothu' show from December 2 as part of the upcoming Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

The Classical Women's Theatre Festival at Mathilakam, not far from Kodungallur, which is the new-era of name of the lost seaport centre of Muziris, will present two mythological female characters known for the strength: Mandodari and Gandhari.

Frontline Nangiar Koothu performers Usha Nangiar and Dr Indu G Edappilly will profile the vital characters from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata respectively.

While the Silappathikaram festival at St.Joseph's High School ground provides 1500-year-old Nangiar Koothu its first platform to essay Mandodari and Gandhari, the speciality of the event does not end with it.

"At the opening day, we will felicitate five senior exponents from as many classical performing arts: Sarojini Nangiar (Nangiar Koothu), Kalamandalam Sathyabhama (Mohiniyattam), Chavara Parukkutty (Kathakali), Kalamandalam Devaki (Ottanthullal) and Moly (Chavittu Natakam),"says 'Keli' K Ramachandran, curating the cultural segment of the three month new-art jamboree starting December 12, a press release here said.

The upcoming fete has excited cultural circles as art historians believe that Ilango Adigal, the Jain monk who authored the three-chapter Silappathikaram, lived in Thrikkana Mathilakam, which is Mathilakam of the modern times.

Prince Ilango is reputed to be the younger brother of Senguttuvan, the Chera king of the later Sangam period. The 5,270-line classic focuses on Kannagi, who burns the entire city of Madurai by her chastity in a high-voltage bid to prove the innocence of her husband Kovalan, who was beheaded after being accused of stealing an anklet from the Chola queen.

Local legislator V S Sunilkumar notes Muziris had been a point of confluence between Tamil and Malayalam cultures.

"And Mathilakam has virtually been its epicentre," he adds, pointing out that the upcoming Silappathikaram Festival is being conceived by the Kochi Biennale Foundation, in association with the Mathilakam Panchayat.

Writer-cartoonist Bonny Thomas, a research-coordinator with the Foundation, said, "It is a pioneering effort to bring Mathilakam on the world's cultural and heritage map."

The festival will start off in the morning of December 2 with a devotional Sopana Sangeetam concert by young vocalist Njeralath Harigovindan and his team.

The traditional lamp will be lit by acclaimed performance artistes Kuzhuppully Matathil Komalam Nangiaramma, Cherumanath Rugmini Nangiaramma, Kalamandalam Girija, Dr Jayanthi Nangiar and Usha Nangiar.

Italian artistes to co-operate with Biennale (http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2012/12/01/191--Italy-Kerala-mend-fences-at-Kochi-Biennale-.html)

Italy and Kerala, going through a diplomatic chill over two Italian marines shooting dead two Indian fishermen in the high seas in February, are mending fences via art at the Kochi-Muziris Art Biennale 2012.

The biennale "will help India become the cultural face of art from all over the world, growing out of the narrow bilateral confines to forge a greater global understanding of cultural sensitivities", leading Italian social and multimedia artist Giuseppe Stampone told IANS.

"The biennale is a huge representation of artists coming from all over the world to Kochi to develop site-specific interactive art. The artists will gather an impression of India and the country needs to support this biennale.
"If it starts off well, out of the biennale will emerge a scope of a culture and of a nation more representative," the 39-year-old artist said in an interview.
Stampone, who is in the coastal Kerala city with an art intervention project, is funding his own work.

The multimedia bilingual installation - 'Uttam Duniya' in Hindi and 'Il Mundo Perfecto (The Perfect World)' in Italian - uses sights, sounds and smells of his immediate environs to comment on the globalisation of media, information and education based on messages received from transformational cultures across the world.

Stampone said the site-specific project incorporated a mosaic of images of rickshaws, billboards, texts and maps to present a changing India through a visitor's eyes.

The artist, who has been a biennale regular for a decade, believes that the "decentralisation of art from the traditional hubs in Europe and US to the emerging cities in the developing world presents the new globalised face of art".

"I have participated in the new biennales in Cuba, Sao Paolo, Liverpool and Gwangju and now India. The old biennales like the ones in Venice are like museums exhibits -- they live in their own historic formula. Europe is history. The new biennales are all happening in the new emerging world," he said.
The big biennales are capitalist with big institutions and big names without opportunities to move beyond institutional art, said Stampone, who exhibited an interactive "art in environment and education" installation at Venice last year.

Art has traditionally followed great economies such as Spain, France and Italy in the 19th century and New York in the United States in the 20th century, he said.

"But Euro-centricism and Western affinity in art do not exist any more. In fact, this idea of the West does not exist any more with countries like India and Mexico coming together at new biennales," he said.

Stampone said a part of this movement of art to the 'ground zeroes' of action was rooted in the work of the new generation of artists, who are using art as a tool for social change to open cultural and humanitarian dialogue.

He said in his work, "art expands its communicative force, entering the everyday world to alter social relationships".

Like 'Saluti da L'Aquila', which reflected on the earthquake that destroyed the city of L'Aquila.

Stampone said "art is reflecting the horizontal plane of the new world in which no one is on top of anyone else."

"There is China; there is India; there is South Korea and there is the Middle East in new art."

Another reason for art to relocate its energies in the emerging world is fiscal stagnation in economic bastions of Europe and America which have stopped state funding of art, he said.

"Italy has not invested in art in 10 years. Paradoxically, out of this has arisen a situation where great monuments have become museums," he said.

"The potential of Kochi is huge but it's not an easy biennale. The artists who have been invited believe in ethics before aesthetics. They touch upon political themes. They have not been called to paint pretty pictures. It makes the act of viewing and acceptance difficult -- away from conventional perceptions," he said.

Muziris to celebrate the legends of Kannaki, thro' a memorial for first time in the state (http://www.business-standard.com/generalnews/news/keralas-first-kannaki-sculpture-to-comeat-mathilakam/87274/)

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As a tribute to Kannaki, the chaste heroine of the 5,270-line Sangam era classic, a memorial will be constructed at the village where the great Tamil poet Ilango Adigal brought her to life 16 centuries ago.

Mathilakam near here, believed to be the lost Muziris seaport of Thrikkana-Mathilakam where Adigal composed his epic Silapathikaram, will be home to Kerala's first ever sculpture of Kannaki, to be erected as part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012.

Kannaki, who burns down an entire city in her righteous fury, has been conferred an element of divinity through temples that are believed to be dedicated to her.

But it is the first time in Kerala that she will be represented in a sculpture as the incorruptible epitome of womanhood and women's empowerment, said Riyas Komu, Director of Programmes of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

The Biennale is already celebrating Kannaki's legend and its origins with a two-day Silapathikaram Festival in the village. It got underway this morning with a devotional 'Sopana Sangeetam' concert by young vocalist Njeralath Harigovindan and his team.

Acclaimed performance artistes Kuzhuppully Matathil Komalam Nangiaramma, Cherumanath Rugmini Nangiaramma, Kalamandalam Girija, Dr Jayanthi Nangiar and Usha Nangiar were present at the inauguration of the festival at the St Joseph's High School grounds by Mathilakam Block Panchayat president Pushpa Sreenivasan.

The proceedings of the evening started off with a procession from Ilavanchikulam. The evening's programmes were inaugurated by veteran music composer V Dakshinamoorthi.

Renowned artist Usha Nangiar essayed the role of Mandodari from Ramayana in a performance of Nangiar Koothu – the first time the mythological character has been portrayed in this 1,500-year-old art form.

^^^^^^^^

Good to see Kerala celebrating the memorial of Kannaki, separate the traditional Hindu cult of seeing her as Kodungallor Kurmba Bhagavati or Attukkal Amma etc...

Its indeed a tribute to Kerala's imperial past with association with the Great Cheras and their contribution.... Unlike TN, we rarely attribute our state with the richness of Sangam Era.... Most of our cultural History starts from Malayalam Era, probably the start of Kollam Era, when Chera Empire Collapsed and Kulashekara Empire started....

Its good to see Kochi Muziris Biennial is doing lots of promotion for Muziris and Chera Era culture and reviving the spirit back!!!!

Hope the Kannaki's statute, with the Chilumbu her hand makes rightful tribute to our culture and pride....

skYu16rNLGA

Taunting, provoking and inspiring
By Parvathy Nambidi - KOCHI 21st November 2012 11:29 AM
Photos

That is what graffiti art is all about. Six youngsters are geared up to splash their creativity all over the city.
In the coming days, there are chances that you may spot audacious scribbling and splashes of colours at the nooks and crannies of the city. You may see them anywhere, from battered buildings to plush malls, to the walls of your resident area. Beware, the works that you are seeing may be taunting, provoking, or inspiring! And that is what graffiti art is all about. A group of young enthusiastic artists are behind this works. For them, art is an expression of their outrage towards whatever they feel is unfair.

‘TagpoT’ is the name of the graffiti project of the six youngsters working in ‘Saltmangotree’, a digital marketing agency who are all set to make the city more colourful.

Manoj Thomas M, the production executive of the firm and the coordinator of the project says, “Tagging is a common usage in graffiti, which means the signature of the artist. Tags may be subtle and cryptic messages and pot is an allegoric expression of the palette from which the colours are splashed. And from these two terms, we coined ‘TagpoT’.”

Other artists of ‘TagpoT’ are Akhil Jacob, Athif Aziz, Prem Krishna Akkattu, Subin Kalarickal and Desmond Fernandez, who approaches graffiti art as their offline activity.

Manoj says, “Graffiti is a strong social media. The real concept of graffiti is still unknown to the people here. Though there are graffiti works already in Kochi, they are more or less paintings which is not hardcore graffiti. In foreign countries, graffiti art is a rebel art, which is done illicitly on public places, without the consent of the owner. The art form is a strong medium of individualistic expression. We would like to trod their path and bring about a flutter in many of the hangout places of the city.”

The ‘TagpoT’ team began their first move in last October in the car parking area near Pai restaurant on MG Road. “Since there is a snooker’s club also nearby to the restaurant, that is a 24-hour hangout place. We opted food and recreation as our theme. The name of the project was ‘PAI’D THE POOL’. Since it was the initial project, we planned for a simple subject. In the future, we would like to bring to light more burning issues.”

Manoj says along with these ideas, they also aspire to bring about a change in the style of posters and banners that hang across the city. “The seasoned painters and flex artists of the city follow a regular pattern. We would like to inspire them and make our banners, flexes and posters more chic and colourful,” says Manoj


http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/article1347728.ece

Fort Cochin inspires global artistes (http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/international/2012/December/international_December96.xml&section=international)
When Moosa heard about the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, he thought it would be a flamboyant affair. But after visiting the Biennale venues at Fort Cochin, the local auto-rickshaw driver is perplexed.

Moosa expected grand stages, posh studios, exhibition halls and extravagant settings to change the face of the place where he lives and earns a living. Instead, he notices only minor sprucing up of existing structures.

The auto driver also expected the artistes, many of whom earn millions of rupees for their works, to live in five-star hotels and spend lavishly. To his utter surprise, most of the artistes have opted for ordinary hotels to stay and the common man’s mode of transport to travel.

Ironically, this has ensured Moosa steady job during the Biennale days. He has been engaged full time by an artist couple. Besides, he is also able to earn some extra bucks by running errands for other artistes.

The Biennale organisers are least surprised by the perception of Moosa. They say it was natural for common people to conjure up different images of an event coming up first time in the country.

“Artistes draw inspiration from their surroundings. Fort Cochin, built and nurtured by the Dutch, the Portuguese and the Britons, is a melting pot of cultures. This suits the cosmopolitan concept of the Biennale”, says Riyas Komu.

Komu, who is co-founder of Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBM), which is organising the event, said the heritage structures they selected for hosting the artistes would have lost their old splendour if they had given them a facelift.

“We have only cleared the bush in the compound. The rest has been left to the artistes. They have selected the sites best suited to them and created facilities they require to do their work”, he adds.

The artistes are happy with even disused dilapidated buildings, warehouses, open air and public spaces identified for the Biennale. Graffiti artistes have already occupied all available walls around the main venues to give expression to their art.

Five young artistes have adorned the walls of Aspinwall House, the primary venue of the Biennale, with a sea monster, a dragon and a phoenix. A dragon fish stares the visitors from the sea-facing wall of the nearby Pepper House.

Atul Dodiya, one of India’s leading contemporary artistes, selected a laboratory at Aspinwall House, the business premises of Aspinwall & Company established in 1867 by English trader John H Aspinwall, for showcasing his work.

Incidentally, he has selected medium that he has never ventured into for the Biennale. He is presenting a photo installation called Celebration in the Laboratory. He said he found the space ideal for contemporary art.

“When I saw the laboratory I wanted to retain it just as it is. The space has a certain mood. It is a laboratory where experiments are done, much like that in an art studio. We discover all the time in an art studio. This space lends itself to doing something different,” he added.

His exhibition begins with a photographic reproduction of a poem written by noted Malayalam litterateur K Satchidanandan. The poem, part of a collection entitled ‘The Poet to Poetry’ is totally about the creative process.” Italian artiste, Giuseppe Stampone, has drawn inspiration from rickshaws, billboards, texts and maps to create a changing India in his multi-media bilingual installation. The world map he has created for the work entitled “Uttam Duniya” (The Perfect World) highlights the conflicts and the map of India the Cochin city.

Before getting into the work, he will be speaking to people to know their perceptions of a world they have never visited. This will be demonstrated in his work, explaining ‘how globalised communication creates false impressions’.

Afghan artiste Amanullah Mojadidi has found the Kochi Biennale a perfect setting to track down his family’s history that has an Indian connection. The US-born, Kabul-based artiste will be weaving the history of his ancestors — real and imagined — by combining elements of story-telling and archaeology.

The organisers are confident that the other artistes who will be arriving in the city in the coming days will also find Fort Cochin and its heritage sites inspiring and will leave back their fascinating impressions.

The Biennale — a spectacular exhibition of contemporary international art — is expected to catapult Cochin as a new-age cultural destination. The three-month event will be kicked off by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on December 12.

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79769r15XTA

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Someone lost it when he saw the other graffiti works in Kochi! :lol:

Kochi International Book Festival 2012 (http://www.bookfestkochi.org/)
The 16th edition of the Kochi International Book Festival (http://www.bookfestkochi.org/) got off to a colourful start at Ernakulathappan ground here on Saturday.

The inaugural function of the 10-day festival began with a performance outlining the evolution of Indian literature by students of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kochi.

Valmiki, Kabir, Tagore, Ezhuthachan, and Changampuzha, shared the stage with famous literary characters such as Shakunthala, Unniyarcha, Pathumma and her goat, and Swami and friends, during the performance.

Excise Minister K. Babu was the chief guest of the function. The Minister said the strong literary tradition of the State, a culture of reading and knowledge, and campaigns such as the library movement had contributed greatly to the development of the State.

Mr. Babu said the reading habits of people had changed over the years.

“Conventional reading, where people read all kinds of novels, poems, and short stories has, perhaps, come down. People go for a more specialised reading these days,” he said.

The Minister said Kochi was second to none in its appreciation for literature.

Kochi had produced literary and cultural greats such as G. Sankara Kurup, Changampuzha, Yesudas and Ponjikkara Rafi, he said.

Writer C. Radhakrishnan; PSC chairman K.S. Radhakrishnan; Justice K. Padmanabhan Nair, who is the president of the book festival samithi; C.P. Thara, chairman of the samithi; and E.N. Nandakumar, director of the book festival, were among those who spoke.

Daily bulletins

Mayor Tony Chammany released the first edition of the daily bulletins that will be brought out during the festival. Hibi Eden, MLA, received the first copy.

Books by over 300 publishers will be exhibited at the festival, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. from Sunday. A literary discussion led by writers, critics and intellectuals will be held on Sunday morning. A session on stories in Konkani will be held in the evening.

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aa chumaru vrithikedakki

Kerala govt to support Kochi biennale (http://www.business-standard.com/generalnews/news/kerala-govt-to-support-kochi-biennale/88784/)
Despite ordering a probe into the use of state funds by organisers of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Kerala government today made it clear that it would extend all support to the international painting and cultural extravaganza scheduled to start next week.

"We will give all support other than monetary assistance to the event," Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said in reply to queries during his weekly Cabinet briefing here.

Chandy, however, discounted the possibility of his presence at the inaugural of the biennale at Kochi on December 12 as he would be preoccupied with the sitting of the state assembly on the day.

The government had last week ordered the probe based on the findings of the inspection wing of the Finance Department which had come across irregularities in handling of funds provided for the event by the previous LDF Government.

The Finance Department probe had found that the Culture Department, under the previous LDF government, had provided Rs five crore to the biennale without insisting that the organisers follow the government norms and conditions normally attached to similar grants.

The Kochi-Muziris biennale, touted as one of India's biggest international painting and art exhibition, ran into trouble when a group of artists approached the government alleging that the event had been hijacked and monopolised by a handful of artists to secure their narrow interests.

കഥയിലെ കാപ്പിരി കൊച്ചിയുടെ മണ്ണില്* ശില്*പ്പമാകുന്നു

കൊച്ചി: കഥയിലെ കാപ്പിരി ഇനി ശില്*പ്പമായി പിറവിയെടുക്കുന്നു. കൊച്ചി ബിനാലെയില്* പങ്കെടുക്കാനെത്തിയ പോര്*ച്ചുഗീസ് ചിത്രകാരന്* റിഗോ-23ന് പ്രേരണയാകുന്നത് കൊച്ചിയില്* ജീവിച്ച കാപ്പിരിയാണ്. ഇരുണ്ട ഭൂഖണ്ഡത്തില്* നിന്ന് കടലുകള്* താണ്ടി കൊച്ചിയിലെത്തിയ കാപ്പിരി ഫോര്*ട്ടുകൊച്ചിയിലെ ഡച്ച് സെമിത്തേരിയിലാണ് അന്തിയുറങ്ങുന്നത്. പകല്* നഗരത്തിന്റെ ചരിത്രത്തിലേക്ക് കണ്ണോടിക്കാന്* പുറത്തിറങ്ങും.

കൊച്ചി സ്വദേശിയായ ജോര്*ജ് തുണ്ടിപ്പറമ്പില്* (റോയ്) രചിച്ച ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് നോവല്* 'മായ'യുടെ ഇതിവൃത്തമാണ് ഡച്ച് സെമിത്തേരിയും കാപ്പിരിയും.

കൊച്ചിയിലെ നടപ്പാതകള്* പിന്നിട്ടപ്പോള്* ഏതോ ശക്തി തന്നെ നയിച്ചത് നാല് നൂറ്റാണ്ടുകളുടെ ചരിത്രം പറയുന്ന ഡച്ച് സെമിത്തേരിയിലേക്കായിരുന്നു. 'ഇവിടെ ഏകാന്തതയുണ്ട്. കൈ എത്തിച്ചാല്* തിരമാലകളെ തൊടാം. രാത്രി നക്ഷത്രങ്ങള്* മിന്നുമ്പോള്* സമുദ്രത്തിന്റെ സംഗീതം കേള്*ക്കാം.' കാപ്പിരി അങ്ങനെ ഡച്ച് സെമിത്തേരിയില്* സസുഖം വാണരുളി.

കാപ്പിരിയുടെ സ്രഷ്ടാവ് ആരാണ്? പോര്*ച്ചുഗീസുകാരനായ റിഗോ-23 നാട്ടുകാരില്* പലരോടും തിരക്കി. മായ എന്ന നോവലിനെക്കുറിച്ച് റിഗോ കേട്ടിരുന്നു. കഥാകാരന്* ആരെന്ന് ചോദിച്ചപ്പോള്* പലരും കൈമലര്*ത്തി. ഒടുവില്* കണ്ടെത്താന്* കഴിഞ്ഞ കഥാകാരന്* ഫോര്*ട്ടുകൊച്ചി സ്വദേശിയാണെങ്കിലും ജര്*മനിയില്* ജോലി നോക്കുന്നു.

'മായ' വായിക്കാന്* റിഗോയ്ക്ക് കഴിഞ്ഞിട്ടില്ല. എന്നാല്* ഇന്റര്*നെറ്റില്* നിന്ന് മായയിലെ കാപ്പിരിയെക്കുറിച്ച് അറിയാന്* കഴിഞ്ഞു. പക്ഷെ വിസ്മയംപോലെ അത് സംഭവിച്ചു. തേടിയ വള്ളി കാലില്* ചുറ്റി. കഴിഞ്ഞ ദിവസം കഥാകാരന്റെ മുന്നില്* ആകസ്മികമായി റിഗോ എത്തി. ജര്*മനിയില്* നിന്ന് അവധിക്ക് ജോര്*ജ് കൊച്ചിയില്* എത്തിയിരുന്നു.

അപ്രതീക്ഷിതമായിരുന്നു കൂടിക്കാഴ്ചയെന്ന് ജോര്*ജ് 'മാതൃഭൂമി'യോട് പറഞ്ഞു. ഏതാനും മണിക്കൂറുകള്* റിഗോയുമായി ചെലവഴിക്കാന്* ജോര്*ജിന് കഴിഞ്ഞു. മായയുടെ ഇതിവൃത്തവും അതിന് പ്രേരകമായ സാഹചര്യവും കൊച്ചിയുടെ ചരിത്രവും ജോര്*ജ് അനാവരണം ചെയ്തു.

ബിനാലെ വേദിയില്* ഒന്നായ ആസ്​പിന്*വാള്* ഹൗസില്* വലിയൊരു ഇന്*സ്റ്റലേഷന്* റിഗോ ഒരുക്കുന്നു. കൊച്ചിയുടെ ആത്മാവിലേക്കിറങ്ങിയ മായയിലെ കഥാപാത്രം കാപ്പിരിയാണ് റിഗോയുടെ ഇതിവൃത്തം. കഴിയുന്നത്ര വേഗത്തില്* അത് പൂര്*ത്തിയാക്കാനാണ് ശ്രമം. കാപ്പിരിയെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള കൂടുതല്* കഥകള്* ബിനാലെ ട്രസ്റ്റിയായ ബോണി തോമസ് റിഗോയ്ക്ക് കൈമാറി. ചരിത്രവും കഥാകാരന്റെ ഭാവനയും കൂടി കലര്*ന്നതാണ് മായ. പോര്*ച്ചുഗീസുകാര്* അടിമവേലയ്ക്കായി കൊച്ചിയില്* കൊണ്ടുവന്നതാണ് കാപ്പിരിയെ. കാപ്പിരിയുടെ ആത്മാവ് ഇപ്പോഴും കൊച്ചിയില്* അലയുന്നതായി കഥാകാരന്* പറയുന്നു.

അറബിക്കടലിലെ മത്സ്യബന്ധനവുമായി കാപ്പിരിയെ ബന്ധിപ്പിക്കുന്ന കലാരൂപമാണ് റിഗോ ബിനാലെയില്* ഒരുക്കുന്നത്. കലാരൂപം പൂര്*ത്തിയാക്കാന്* ഒരു പഴയ ചീനവല കൂടി വേണം. അതിനുവേണ്ടിയുള്ള തിരച്ചിലിലാണ് റിഗോ.

http://www.mathrubhumi.com/online/malayalam/news/story/1988433/2012-12-07/kerala

Kerala-Muziris Biennale to highlight the spirit of Muziris (http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2012/12/07/94--New-art-rescues-2-000-year-old-Muziris-Kochi-history-in-Kerala-With-Image-.html)

Contemporary art is opening a new road to connect to the heritage of the ancient Kochi-Muziris region of Kerala to carry it to the world through a series of reconnecting works in a variety of mediums, on display at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012.

The ancient port city of Muziris - now being excavated - was a key transit point on the Indo-Roman and the Indo-Greek trade route since 1st century BC while its twin city Kochi has been a cultural melting pot for the last six centuries.

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012 - India's first official biennale of contemporary art begnning Dec 12 - is being described as a cultural renaissance built around the holistic heritage conservation model of regenration, reuse and sustainability of archaeological relics, its organisers say.

It has drawn 88 artists from 24 countries and nearly 1,500 performers. Little wonder then that Kochi-Muziris is a flurry of actvity.

In a large dimly lit space at the Aspwinwall House in Mattancherry, the ancient spice trading quarters of Fort Kochi, a group of workmen is putting together what seems to be a strange installation. The workmen are assembling thousands of brown clay pottery shards, excavated from the ruins of Muziris in Pattanam, into an abstract miniature of the port city that was destroyed in a flood in the Periyar river in 1341 AD.

The installation by contemporary artist Vivan Sundaram is trying to connect the history of Muziris to contemporary abstraction - a realm that allows the viewer to re-imagine history in his own way with impressions of a reality no more there.

Next to Sundaram's heritage installation hangs a 60-ft long wooden trading boat, a realistic installation by artist Subodh Gupta. The boat, traditional in design, is a replica of the vessels used to ferry spices and goods on the high seas off the Mattancherry coast.

The installations meld into the history of the venue - the old Aspinwall & Company Ltd, a spice firm established 1867 by English trader John H. Aspinwall.

"The kind of material Vivan Sundaram uses in the installation touches upon a kind of hidden history using a high-end technology. It represents new knowledge and adds a cultural depth to the place and the art," says biennale co-curator Riyas Komu.

Gupta, who has been working with boats, calls his installation an extension of his ongoing practice but "one which takes on a new meaning in old Kochi, the boat city".

"I have been reconnecting to history with smaller boats for the last few years in my studio," Gupta says.

Kerala-based artist Valsom Koorma Koller is recycling the state's natural resources - coir, coconut husk, coir wool, rice husk, coconut fronds, pots, clay, textile and metal scrap - in a bunker-display space at the Aspwinwall House. "The act of recycling material signifies that nothing dies and all material has life if we put a little mind and art to it," Valsom says, explaining the nature of his work.

The materials are arranged in figurative and pyramidal forms on bunkers - piled in stories on each other. "What I am concerned about is that when somebody dies, we either burn or bury them. But we rarely donate their organs to live in the next generation... We sell our future to enjoy a joyful life today. I want to perpetuate life," the artist says.

The sea outside the historic Pepper House, another venue of the biennale that has been restored last week, flows into artist K.P. Regi's canvas. The imagery is a direct transposition of Regi's interpretation of the arrival of the Indian Navy aircraft carrier at Cochin harbour in a photo-realistic style. (As it happens, INS Virat is being refurbished at the Cochin Shipyard).

Regi says his work explores "the layers of Kochi's history - from its days of pastoral innocence to the years of Mahatma Gandhi, independence of India, the Left politics and weapons of war on the town's historic waters".

The Dutch-style waterfront Pepper House is a living heritage of change. Once consisting of two spice godowns with clay roofs and a central courtyard, the 16,000 sq ft building has been restored as a modern multi-use space to host art and culture.

Other historic venues have been resurrected from the rubble of neglect as well. The Durbar Hall, built in 1850 by the king of Cochin has been converted into a modern scientifically-planned art museum and gallery while the David Hall, a Dutch-style bungalow built in 1695 by the Dutch East India Company, has been restored to host art and performances.

One classic example of rebirth is Goturuth, a sliver of land that emerged out of the water after Muziris drowned in a deluge. Nearly 40 km from Fort Kochi, the 14th century landmass will support a public installation of Chinna Thambi Annavi, who is believed to have founded the Chavittu Nadakam, a Latin Christian performance art.

Kerala-based artist Anto George is working on the 11-foot statue of the cultural icon at a site where a Church overlooks a Shiva temple.
The biennale is paying its tribute to Ilango Adigal , the creator of Silappadikaram who wrote the epic story of divine princess Kannagi, by installing a Kannagi icon at Mathikalam, located in what was once Muziris.

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Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012 - 1st week events

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coch.in%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F11%2FKMB-Opening-Week-Programme.pdf&docid=e4b6dabbd32d44d508f647adf9f4e3e0&a=bi&pagenumber=1&w=774

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coch.in%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F11%2FKMB-Opening-Week-Programme.pdf&docid=e4b6dabbd32d44d508f647adf9f4e3e0&a=bi&pagenumber=2&w=774

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coch.in%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F11%2FKMB-Opening-Week-Programme.pdf&docid=e4b6dabbd32d44d508f647adf9f4e3e0&a=bi&pagenumber=3&w=774

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coch.in%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F11%2FKMB-Opening-Week-Programme.pdf&docid=e4b6dabbd32d44d508f647adf9f4e3e0&a=bi&pagenumber=4&w=774

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coch.in%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F11%2FKMB-Opening-Week-Programme.pdf&docid=e4b6dabbd32d44d508f647adf9f4e3e0&a=bi&pagenumber=5&w=774

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coch.in%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F11%2FKMB-Opening-Week-Programme.pdf&docid=e4b6dabbd32d44d508f647adf9f4e3e0&a=bi&pagenumber=6&w=774

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coch.in%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F11%2FKMB-Opening-Week-Programme.pdf&docid=e4b6dabbd32d44d508f647adf9f4e3e0&a=bi&pagenumber=7&w=774

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coch.in%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F11%2FKMB-Opening-Week-Programme.pdf&docid=e4b6dabbd32d44d508f647adf9f4e3e0&a=bi&pagenumber=8&w=774

Dutch artist to errect installations to highlight Chera's 72 grants (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/kochi-gets-ready-for-a-dutch-treat/article4180760.ece)

The famous copper plate grants issued by many Chera Emperors, that resulted in settlement of Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities into Kerala, will be highlighted, thro' 72 large plates at Aspinwall House Perhaps, it might be best that, this biennale is creating lot of historical interest in token to respect icons of Lost city of Chera's Muziris in Kochi.........



http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01293/dutch_1293150f.jpg

Dutch artist Joseph Semah was on a visit to Kochi in September this year when he came across a story about a Chera king’s 9 century copper plates. The tale soon became the focal theme of his installation art for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

Semah’s work will introduce visitors to the 72 privileges granted to the Jewish and Christian communities here by the last king of the Chera dynasty who ruled from Muziris.

The work will feature a 22-m-long wooden table with 72 copper plates inserted, said a communication from the organisers of the Biennale. Five thousand metres of thread will be woven through the holes. “The accompanying 72 drawings will be a visual guide to the history of the 72 privileges,” said Semah, who is in Kochi with his wife and son.

The 64-year-old artist, settled in Netherlands, has had no formal training in art.

“I never did studied art at school. It is embarrassing to be practising art in classroom walls, then becoming an intern under some artist of repute, and all that rigour...”

Born in Iran, he moved to Israel with his parents when he was two years old. Semah later went on to study engineering and philosophy. At 27, he moved to Europe — London, Berlin and then Paris — on a “self-imposed exile.” Semah has been living in Amsterdam since 1980. There, he founded the Makkom Foundation which has been organising projects based on interdisciplinary research in the arts.

Semah’s installation will be opened at Fort Kochi’s Aspinwall House on December 13. The inaugural show will feature public figures from different religions positioned back to back and reading out from holy texts. “They will comprise believers of the Islamic, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish and secular traditions… I’m trying to rope in a member from the only Parsi family left in Kochi,” says Semah.

The back-to-back session will be followed by a dance of 72 children. “There will be no rehearsal for this. It’s up to the kids to do whatever they want. We are in the process of finding the performers.” A record of the live performance will later be integrated into the installation, he says.

Kochi isn’t the first Biennale that Semah is participating in. The artist was delighted to see the peaceful co-existence of different religions in the city. “When issues of religious intolerance are rocking Europe, it is wonderful to see here in Kochi a laboratory of tolerance, where Hindus, Muslims, Jews and Christians co-exist in perfect harmony,” he says.

Semah feels that the Kochi-Muziris Biennale will “mark a paradigm shift in the history of art. It doesn’t go by the local power structure, it doesn’t feature the same set of faces found in most Biennales of the world, it has curators who are artists themselves,” says the artist.

Kochi gearing up for Cochin Carnival

As per the traditions of Carnival, the Solidarity Day has been observed with Naval salute at Kochi War Memorial, saluting unknown soldiers who laid their lives for peace. This was followed by a special service and choir presentation was done at St.Francis Church which marks the traditional inaugural festivities happen.

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Kochi's History gets an artistic fascination with Biennale (http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2012/December/international_December400.xml&section=international&col=)

India’s first biennale will open here on Wednesday offering a rare artistic expression of the fascinating history of Kerala’s port city of Cochin and its ancient predecessor Muziris buried under layers of mud and dilapidated structures as well as India.

About 80 artistes from around the globe have probed the cultural legacy left behind by Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Chinese, Jews, Portuguese and Britons since ancient times and are set to assimilate them in their creative works.

Rigo 23, a Portuguese muralist, painter and political artist, is enamoured by the tales of ‘Kappiri’, the Black African slaves who came along with Portuguese sailors and colonisers to Cochin in the 15th century. His work will show the tragic hero, revered by different communities in several parts of West Cochin, fishing on the Arabian coast.

Dutch artist Joseph Semah is inspired by a story about 72 privileges granted by King Cheraman Perumal to Jewish and Christian communities during his rule of erstwhile Muziris, a thriving port in the Indo-Roman trade in the first century BCE. The ancient city is believed to have vanished in a massive flood in 14th century leading to the emergence of Cochin as a port and trade centre.

Semah’s work will feature a 22-m-long wooden table with 72 copper plates inserted. Five thousand metres of thread will be woven through the holes. The accompanying 72 drawings will be a visual guide to the history of the 72 privileges, said 64-year-old Iran-born Semah, who is now settled in Netherlands. The installation will open at Aspinwall House at Fort Cochin on December 13.

Delhi-based Indian contemporary artist Vivan Sundaram has also drawn inspiration from Muziris. He has gathered the discarded shards of pottery with elements of design from Pattanam, under excavation, for his installation art coming up at Aspinwall House. The pottery pieces laid in a rectangular space offers a glimpse of the life of the buried port city.

Subodh Gupta, whom Guardian newspaper called “India’s Damien Hirst” is fascinated by Kerala’s rice boats. The large country boat, used in the old days to transport rice, will form the core of his work.

Kerala's biggest crowd pulling event

The Art Renaissance in Kochi

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just got back from the mia concert and a roam around the biennale area.
Visited aspinwall.


They've done something i agree
Its pulling crowds too i agree


But what they've done is beyond the comprehension of most ppl.
Particularly mine. I'm clueless about what all this was about

Art is what people say it is. Anything that is done with no specific purpose is art. You may not understand it. In fact no one may understand it. Really.... not even the creator may understand it. But it IS ART.

If you enjoy the art, great. If you like the fact that it pulls the crowd, good. If you like the fact that the city is getting a lot of visibility and publicity, good. If you like the fact that the economy is getting a boost, good.

There is a subtle difference between "craft" and "art". We often mistake "craft" for "art". Craft is the host of skills and techniques used to express the art. It is a vehicle, not the substance. Normal people value craft more. In fact mistake it for art.

For example, you make a well executed painting of an apple, which comes out looking like a photograph. That is just "craft", not "Art". It expresses nothing. Similarly, someone sings a song exactly like the original track. That is just craft, not art.

OTOH, someone throws paint at a canvas randomly to make marks, and claim that he is expressing his discontent on the system, that is just "Art". There is not much of "Craft" in it. Unfortunately, 2D and 3D imaging (aka painting and sculpture) is a medium that you can get away with practically no craft. That is why you see proliferation of "artists" in that media. That is why places like Paris have lots of "Artists"

^^^^^^^^

Plus 100000..... In South India, particularly Kerala, we had mostly 3 types of fine art, asscustomed.... One is temple mural paintings, second is sculptures of definite structure and third and final is Ravi Varma kind of oil paintings.....

Many things beyond this, are are often called Bhuji's space and not patronized well.... As a result, we donot have a Paris kind of Art space or atleast similar to what Mumbai have.......

Atleast KMB is changing the perceptions and making art more public friendly and attempting for an art literacy........

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CNN features Kochi Muziris Biennale in its Editorial Story
:banana:

India's first arts biennale begins in Kochi (http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/12/world/kochi-biennale/index.html?hpt=hp_c3)

he port-city of Kochi, on India's west coast, isn't known for its arts scene.

Nestled amid Kerala's famously stunning backwaters (travel writers have long loved touting the streams that snake through the rural countryside as the quintessential bucket-list endeavor), the city is more readily defined by its breathtaking backdrop.

From today and for the next three months, that will change, as the world's culture vultures descend into Kochi to attend one of India's first international arts festivals: the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

Even since Venice introduced the world to the biennale in 1895, the word has been symbolic of a city's cultural ascendency. Often, biennales demonstrate a region's savvy through showcasing the direction the contemporary arts scene will go in coming seasons.

Just why Kerala produces so many artists seems to be a very popular question
Dorrie Younger

Kochi has something a little different planned. Rather than focusing on the future, this biennale's theme centres very much on Kochi's history.

In particular, it will put a spotlight on Muziris, India's answer to Atlantis. Muziris was a prosperous trading hub that from the first century B.C. that supplied the world with everything from spices to precious stones.

The city drew traders from as far as Rome, Greece and China. It was active up until the 14th century, when it mysteriously disappeared under the sea -- perhaps by a flood or tsunami.

Excavations just outside Kochi a few years ago unearthed pottery, coins and various other artefacts that link the region to the Roman era, and suggest that, at last, Muziris has been found.

The biennale founders have adopted the fallen port as a theme for the event, and in previous months, a legion of local and international artists have picked over the city for inspiration for their projects.

Many pieces will involve found art. Alex Mathew, a Kerala-born sculptor, is designing a piece with abandoned anchors, while Vivan Sundaram, India's leading installation artist, is creating a 400 square-foot reconstruction of Muziris using terracotta shards unearthed at the excavation site.

He will both physically throw water on the installation, and incorporate video of flowing water, to represent the destruction of the city.

"It's about a certain fragility of this quiet, thriving port town, of which little is actually known," he says. The hope is that they'll draw attention not only to Kerala's artistic heritage, but to its historic one as well.

In many ways, Kochi makes a lot of sense as the destination for the country's first biennale. Kerala seems to have birthed a large proportion of artists over the years, including K.C.S. Panicker, considered by many the father of Indian abstract painting, and Raja Ravi Varma, one of the first Indian artists to gain notoriety outside the subcontinent.

"Just why Kerala produces so many artists seems to be a very popular question," notes Dorrie Younger, co-founder of the Kashi Art Café, the city's first gallery.

We're building an architecture where a biennale can grow- Riyas Komu

"It's most likely due to a combination of a high standard of living, the political climate, tolerance for opposing ideology, and a long history of foreign visitors."
Riyas Komu, one of the organisers for the festival, also gives credit to Kerala's political climate.

"There's a long tradition of activism here, and there's always been a very vocal dialogue between political parties. For artists, the most important thing is that they have the capacity to be argumentative."

One of the participants, Ubik, is a Kerala-born artist who has since relocated to Dubai. On a recent research trip to the area, he discovered the extent that politics has shaped his paintings.

"Growing up, I'd always see communist propaganda messages all over the walls. It's an aspect that's seeped into my work, and strangely enough, it only now kind of makes sense to me. I do a lot of text-based paintings, and I was always quite curious about where that came from. Now I know."

Like many artists that hail from the region, Ubik hasn't stayed put. He notes that one reason Kerala's artists seem to flock to other countries is a lack of museums and galleries.

"Most of the art market is focused on [Mumbai] and Delhi. That's just where it is, commercially speaking. From what I know, I don't think Kerala really has the infrastructure for that," he notes.

Lacking traditional arts spaces, the organisers have done something quite unique; they've commissioned heritage houses throughout the area to host the work, including an old Dutch dockyard, a former 17th century military bungalow used by the Dutch East India Company and a 19th century British gentleman's club.

Komu is also hoping that the biennale will bring the necessary infrastructure for a budding Keralan arts scene.

"We're building an architecture where a biennale can grow," he explains. "Traditionally, India has failed to take on projects like this. Hopefully, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale will change people's minds, and they'll start to have philanthropic ideas, and to invest in arts and culture for the next generation."

biennale may fool us once.

But i doubt how many would turn up next time.

unless the installations look exotic, i dont see why it should attract anyone.

Here's my take on the aspinwall exhibits: the ground floor comprises of random photos of a lot of ppl who attended some comference.
another floor had some loop videos of a few guys standing and another of 3 guys pushing a wall.
Another room had a video of some agricultural tools falling down.

This could be art, but not enchanting enough to draw tourism

Ps: just happened to read the above article to realize that the something i saw was actually a miniaturre of miziris.

imo, they need to keep volunteers to explain whats happening or atleast write it down

biennale may fool us once.

But i doubt how many would turn up next time.

unless the installations look exotic, i dont see why it should attract anyone.

Here's my take on the aspinwall exhibits: the ground floor comprises of random photos of a lot of ppl who attended some comference.
another floor had some loop videos of a few guys standing and another of 3 guys pushing a wall.
Another room had a video of some agricultural tools falling down.

This could be art, but not enchanting enough to draw tourism

Ps: just happened to read the above article to realize that the something i saw was actually a miniaturre of miziris.

imo, they need to keep volunteers to explain whats happening or atleast write it down

Many of installations are not yet complete, as what I understand. They are still working on it.... Say many exhibits shipped abroad have not yet reached Kochi and those reached have recevied have held up in customs... Some have got some of it etc....

Secondly, being the first time, everyone is learning, including the organizers.... The volunters are working based on things what they feel right... Its like that, everywhere. It will definitely take time to set down the dust and codify things.... And its only after one or two times, people will also understand what its all about.....

I am sure, this time, the locals are pouring, because of curiosity.... Sooner and later, it will turn into serious art event, where genuine art lovers patronize more than stray crowd......

We must appreciate, things are happening, despite of so many challengers... The Govt promised 100 crore, no support came from govt side... We have no good galleries to name, yet all these heritage structures taken at short notice and improved....... A large group of domestic artists are not supporting it.... Despite of all these things are happening..... We must appreciate that spirit

Ps: just happened to read the above article to realize that the something i saw was actually a miniaturre of miziris.


Its not minature of Muziris, but artistic impressions of Muziris.... Say, they are constructing 72 plates at entrance, which nothing to do directly with Muziris... But reminds us, how the torelance and welcoming attitude of Chera Emperors in granting the copper plates, 72 in number, to various immigrant communities like Jews, Nasaranis, Muslim Traders, people from North etc to Kerala, in their times of distress and fortune seeking......

Perhaps, a person of this generation may not be aware of Bhaskara Varman's Copper Plate Grants... But definitely something large artistic imprints, might help him to ponder whats all about it and reminds him about his past..... Thats all significance of such events

MIA rocked Kochi yesterday, with her first performance in India at Muziris Biennale.

The concert made more suprise with unexpected guest none other than John Abraham who was in Kochi for his movie shoot.

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CC:- FWD Magazine and Jinson

Today's Schedule at Biennale Venues

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Snaps of the Inagural events

The function started with Kerala's traditional ensemble- The Panchavadyam which made people to take their beats to its peak

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This was followed by a rare traditional Malabar Muslim ritual called Kaikottupattu, where old ladies sit and sing hymns of richness of this land while clapping the hands

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This was followed by the highlight of the event, the first ever performance of MIA, the oscar nominated Pop Star in India....

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The surprise joining of John Abraham into the show, made the audience go more crazy, at the peak of MIA's show

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And that made Kochi to put into Art Map, hosting India's first Biennale

Pics courtesy:- Route Cochin

KMB to drive Kochi into fame (http://www.firstpost.com/india/three-month-kochi-biennale-to-be-a-boost-for-tourism-555663.html)

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a festival of the visual arts, was inaugurated Oommen Chandy, the Chief Minister of Kerala, at the Kochi Parade Grounds, in the presence of an estimated crowd of over 5,000 people. This is the first-ever biennale to be held in India.

Also present were recognized creative celebrities like Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh.

The inaugural event began with a scintillating panchavadyam performance by a troupe of 44 musicians who played tirelessly non-stop for over an hour. This was followed by a heart-warming performance of one of Kerala’s lesser known folk music genres — the kaikotti pattu, sung by women to the simple beat of clapping hands.

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) will span a period of over 3 months from December 12, 2012 to March 13, 2013. It will feature the works of over 80 major artists from more than 24 countries. Some of the artists, among them Jonas Staal of the Netherlands, Joseph Semah from Israel and Ernesto Neto from Brazil, have created special works rooted in their understanding and interpretation of the history, culture and people of India, and of Kochi in particular.

The biennale will have guided tours for all the venues having exhibits, which will continue throughout the three months. Additionally, there will be talks, performances and public art installations, to help generate more awareness and appreciation of art.

Kochi’s heritage is very much on display. All the venues for the biennale are restored buildings rooted in the history of Kochi. The Durbar Hall of the erstwhile Maharaja of Kochi has been transformed into a world-class art gallery.

David Hall is a Dutch bungalow built towards the end of the 17th century, and it is now an art gallery. The Cochin Club, a venerable Kochi institution, will have installation art and sculpture exhibited in a part of its grounds. Aspinwall House is a complex of a trading office building, a residential bungalow and warehouses, which have been painstakingly restored.

The premises will be the venue for performances and the buildings will house art exhibits. Pepper House is actually two old pepper godowns which were is disuse for many years. They are under restoration, and will eventually house a courtyard café, a gallery, artists’ studios and event spaces.

In all, KMB has been granted the use of over 300,000 square feet of mixed use space across 14 venues. KMB will have other collateral events. The most significant is the BRICS segment that features works from the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. These specially curated pieces of art are intended to juxtapose the creative expressions of these nations against the better-known art of the developed world.

KMB gets down to serious business from today with a day-long schedule of events that includes talks, a cookery demonstration, two performances by artists who have combined an art work and a performance into a single creative expression, and guided tours for exhibition sites as well as the BRICS segment.

An art biennale is usually a major international art event attracting participation by artists and creative people from several countries. It features, besides exhibits of works of art, a lot of interactive events and performances. The first art biennale was held in Venice in 1895. Today, over a hundred biennales are held all over the world, and now India finally joins this club.

Biennales are more than just art events. A biennale becomes a driver of economic and other gains. The Kochi Biennale is expected to dramatically increase tourism as it could attract millions of international and domestic visitors. Hotels in Kochi are running full currently for the entire opening week of the biennale. Biennales also help bring awareness and appreciation of art among the lay public. At Kochi, many school children were observed visiting the venues and excitedly talking about what they saw.

Inclusion tends to be a hallmark of every biennale. It contributes to demystifying art by bringing art and artists closer to the public. It also establishes a dialog between the art and the viewer that enriches both. One interesting way in which this has been achieved at KMB is the openness of the inaugural event. There was no ‘reserved’ VIP, media or delegate seating. Ordinary citizens of Kochi rubbed shoulders with some of the finest artists of the world and some very elite buyers of art.

KMB has an open section for both artworks and performances, which will showcase the work of many new artists, as against the ‘curated’ exhibits featuring established artists.

The inaugural event had a remarkable way of getting inclusion with a small LED helicopter toy being distributed to everyone present. People were encouraged to shoot it into the air and watch it descend slowly with the LED glowing and reflecting off fluorescent rotors.

It was magical to see hundreds of these being shot into a starry night sky again and again, and then gently descending with a surreal glow. This should have given a sense of satisfaction to two men who have been the primary force behind the idea and the evolution of this biennale – Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu.

Though i am nt an art fan...the publicity this event is bringing to kochi seems overwhelming..

BBC has established a full fledged office and crew in Kochi to make a Kochi Muziris Documentary, after capturing the full events in 3 months.

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The team lead by BBC Dubai Producer Hattie Bowering, who specializes in arts and culture.

A 4 member crew including Hattie Bowering, supported by 5 Indian crew team works for featuring India's first Biennale into one of world's largest media systems.

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The team has set up 2 offices, one at Aspinwall House and another as part of Camp Office in Bay View in Ernakulam

The team will be capturing every moments at Biennale, interviewing multiple personalities, digitalizing every art record, which shall be featured as independent series of Kochi Muziris Films in BBC,

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Now thats awesome...amazing publicity fo

Stokes of Nostalgia make into Biennale Canvas (http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/strokes-of-nostalgia-dominate-kochi-biennale-canvas/1/237684.html)

As ferries pass by the Aspinwall House, a renovated British warehouse in Kochi, they are witness to a strange sight. The wall, which once only had the name of the building, now carries a poem lit up with Broadway style lights.

It reads: “The strange new music of the crying songs of the people we left behind mixing as your boat touches stone here as my new bones touch your bones.� The poem is a text-based installation by British artist Robert Montgomery and was created for the Kochi Muziris Biennale, a three-month-long exhibition of contemporary art featuring over 80 artists from India and abroad.

According to Bose Krishnamachari, curator and artistic director of the event, Montgomery’s work captures one of the biennale’s major themes. “We chose works based on the themes of cosmopolitanism and inclusiveness. Kochi, along with its predecessor Muziris, has a rich history of people from other countries and cultures being absorbed here. Robert’s installation reflects that- he is English-Irish and the poem is Portuguese- as it talks about connecting with people from those cultures that were left behind,� he explains.

The theme of remembrance is an important narrative in the work of other international artists who are part of the biennale. Rigo, 23, from Portugal, will be putting up three installations that focus on the history of trade between Portugal and Kochi.

Pointing to a bamboo cylinder, he says it will be one of many that will be suspended over an abandoned dockyard. “It is based on the concept of a fish net, except that it is meant to trap echoes. Voices and stories from those who came here in the past,� Rigo, who is known for his political murals exhibited in California, says.


Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/strokes-of-nostalgia-dominate-kochi-biennale-canvas/1/237684.html

Ace director Lal Jose really got awestruck with Biennale

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News about Biennale in one of world's most popular newspaper- The New York Times (http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/14/in-kerala-a-distinctly-indian-art-fair-with-international-appeal/#more-51730)

In a dank, musty loft at Moidu’s Heritage, an unused warehouse in Fort Kochi, Kerala, the Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto stood precariously on a stool.

He had only a few hours to get his work installed before the Kochi-Muziris Biennale would kick off, and things were not going well. Clad in a white dhoti and T-shirt, he stretched the ends of a piece of cotton fabric and hooked it onto nails on the wooden rafters. His frustration was palpable. The muggy weather and the lack of electricity in the building were hampering his progress. “My work is all about tension. It gets incorporated into my art,” he muttered.

The three-month-long biennale, India’s first, started this week with a nod to the mystical: At exactly noon on Dec. 12, 2012, the wrought-iron gates of Aspinwall House, a sea-facing colonial-era spice house that is one of the main venues, was thrown open to the public.

Mr. Neto, who had labored through the night, had his installations in place by then. But not every artist had managed that. Instead of an orderly display of paintings and sculpture, one encountered the chaotic scramble of industry on Wednesday — hammering, soldering and whirring sounds filled the air. India, with its penchant for last-minute event preparation, seems to have created a new type of art fair, the art-in-progress show.

Critics and art lovers, far removed from clinical, impersonal gallery spaces, seemed delighted by this unusual engagement with artists. The creation of art, they said, is another dimension that needs to be explored. “One rarely gets to see artists at work at other biennales,” said the Beirut-based critic Kaelen Wilson-Goldie. “It is interesting to see how an artist tries to solve the problem of a particular environment and create something.”

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale seeks to “invoke the historic cosmopolitan legacy of Kochi and its predecessor, the ancient port of Muziris,” according to the fair’s curators. Muziris is thought to have been involved in the spice trade as early as the third century B.C., trading with Romans, Greeks, Chinese, Jews and Arabs. It is said to have been wiped out in 1341, when the Periyar River flooded, after which the town of Cochin, 20 miles to the south, rose to commercial prominence. (Cochin was renamed Kochi in 1996.)

Aspinwall House, one of the venues of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012.
Eighty-eight artists from 24 countries are showcasing their work in 10 different venues in Kochi, including the Fort Kochi neighborhood . Some 85 percent of the work is site-specific, created with the surroundings and history of Kochi in mind. “Some of the rooms had cracked floors and broken tiles, but it was stunning to see they were able to use that space,” said the Delhi-based curator Ina Puri. “The subjects were global, like migration and the dispossessed, but the works were conceived to ensure that the flavors were distinctly Indian.”

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Ernesto Neto’s installation “Life is a River" at Moidu's Heritage Plaza

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Joseph Semah's installation "The 72 Plates", under work progress in Aspinwall House

Htein Lin's Burmese art performance on the streets of Jew Town

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Pic Courtesy:- KMB Foundation

Installation- The New World Summit

This installation highlights the height of tolerance of Kochi and Kerala towards accommodating all views. The pavilion features flags of all banned organizations, which India has referred as terrorist organizations. The installation helps people to view things from multi-angle

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Biennale attracting lots of tourists, making a new experience for visitors

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Installations

The Rooftop:- Classic to Kerala's traditional Spice warehouse tradition....

The Lights of repeller:- The star attraction.... A Temple lights tradition, where used and throw away mosquito repellers made into lamps filled with fragrance liquid.....

BB-8CkaERps

just got back from the biennale.
the place is very active....its hard to get a parking or table at any reaturant.


A lot more installations have opened.
I spent around 5 hours at aspinwall.


Will go back to check the others later

^^

Few snaps?

Didnt take any pictures today.
But i got a few amateur pics of the MIA concert and a bit of aspinwall stuff.
Uploading imges is still strange territory to me

Uploading images is still strange territory to me
1) Upload the images to any public photo sharing site. (Imageshack, Tinypic, Flickr)
2) Copy 'IMAGE URL'.
3) Paste in the image tab.

P42XMvAF1SM


something i shot towards the end on an aged cybershot.

Bollywood's heartthrob John Abraham makes a surprise visit to Biennale Venues

He was awestruck with wonders of various installations at the Biennale

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The effect on tourism is seen clearly:banana:

Just one day- Yesterday 16/12/2012- Sunday, 10,000 visitors make beeline to Biennale Venues..... 9164 visitors alone to Apsinwall House.....

Surely, this single event will attract more than 8 lakh tourists to Kochi, if they can sustain this trend

Biennale turns Kochi into a tourist hotspot

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale has attracted foreign visitors from all corners of the world; most of whom admit that they would never have visited this part of India if it had not been for the art event

For some, Kerala had always been in their travel plans, while others had never even heard of Kerala until the Biennale. But all are glad that they made the visit.

"For us, India meant the Taj Mahal and Mahatma Gandhi. I heard about Kerala only after my brother was invited to exhibit his work at the Biennale. I did my research on Kerala before coming here; we are going to visit North India afterwards," says Adrianna from Argentina, who is here with her brother and parents.

But not everyone feels the same. "Who hasn't heard about Kerala?'' is what Melissa from Tokyo has to say. This is her first visit to Kerala, though she has been in India for a few years to learn meditation. "I'm impressed by the scale of the event... so many artists and volunteers! We were able to meet a lot of interesting people," she says. Melissa will also be visiting Munnar and other tourist spots in the coming days. David, her friend and travelling companion, adds that they had no idea what they were in for when they caught a bus to Kochi from Chennai. "We didn't know the language or what it was all about, but what we found was amazing art and culture from all over the world coming to one city," says David, who is from Miami, Florida.

For London-born Nimish Patel, India meant only his hometown in Gujarat and the usual tourist spots, until his cousin invited him to visit the Biennale. "I had always been interested in art and this is a perfect chance for me to meet some interesting people, get to see some good works of art and also visit places like Thekkady and Munnar." Nimish is already checking out if the next Biennale is in Kochi as he wants to visit the state again.

And it's not just art enthusiasts whom the Biennale attracted but reputed names as well. Keith Khan, Trinidad and Tobago born artist, Head of Culture for the London 2012 Olympic Games and founder of an art organisation in London, is in Kochi just for the Biennale. "It is chaotic, shambolic and half-finished, but there is huge spirit and ambition behind it," he says. "There is always the danger of something like this degenerating into catering only to people with money but that hasn't happened so far. They have managed to keep the local identity," adds Khan.

This is Khan's second visit to Kerala, and he is amused to find that a lot of people take him for a Malayali, owing to his West Indian features. "But my British accent gives me away," he says.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/travel/Biennale-turns-Kochi-into-a-tourist-hotspot/articleshow/17637100.cms

Biennale became Page 3 celebs hot spot

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Malayalam megastar Mammotty became a fan of Art Biennale

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Babu Antony at Biennale Venue

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John Abraham has already confessed his love with Biennale

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Indian Navy Vice Admiral Sathish Sony at Aspinwall

Couple of pics i clicked yesterday luckily i was there when both Mammooty and babu Antony were present:banana:

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/5439/img9887u.jpg (http://img689.imageshack.us/i/img9887u.jpg/)
http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/8903/img9891e.jpg (http://img849.imageshack.us/i/img9891e.jpg/)

Big art endeavours like Biennale merit ticket entry: Mammootty (http://english.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?contentId=13060135&channelId=-1073865028&catId=-191621)
Kochi: With the Kochi Muzris Biennale facing a severe financial crunch, Malayalam superstar Mammooty opined that big art endeavours like it merit ticketed entry. Impressed with the magnitude and aesthetics of the work on display, Mammooty who visited the venue, said the "Biennale merited ticketed entry for the public."

"I think we should all contribute towards the event.... A kind of token of appreciation to the effort behind it.... Say, a pass of Rs 10 for children and Rs 50 for adults....," the actor said. On whether he would make a donation to the Biennale, the actor turned to co-curator Bose Krishnamachari accompanying him and said: "Let us think about it, let's discuss it."

Mammootty said the Biennale was a "great event" that should make his native Kerala proud, given that Kochi has become the country's first city to host the festival that has a 117-year-old history globally.

"I come out (from the art venues) and see you all; now I get real. All this while I was in a magical world," the actor, clad in a blue shirt and jeans of a light shade, said. Earlier in the day, two other Malayalam actors visited the Biennale.

After seeing the works, Babu Antony said he has been an ardent admirer of art, having been a painter himself during his earlier years in Bangalore. Actor Jishnu said it was particularly wonderful to see the Biennale providing the ideal kind of space for foreign and Indian artists.

"The Biennale should have happened much before in India. Events like these would help us alter the notion that high art is only for the elite," he said after a three-hour visit to Aspinwall.

The Biennale apparently has become a remarkable success, literally shutting up the critics.

I really likes one of the comments. Kanayi Kunjuraman opposes biennale because of the fear that twenty kanayis would raise here, challenging his monopoly.

Though I wouldn't allege selfishness, an amount of NIH is definitely there among the establishment.

BMW is partnering with Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India’s inaugural festival of international contemporary art. Kochi-Muziris Biennale in partnership with BMW announce a curated programme of video series on urbanism.

https://mediapool.bmwgroup.com/download/edown/pressclub/publicq?

Munich/Kochi. India’s first festival of international contemporary art, the Kochi Muziris-Biennale, is taking place from December 12, 2012 to March 13, 2013 in spaces across Kochi, Muziris and surrounding islands in the region of Kerala. The Biennale endeavours to create a cultural impact both locally and globally, bringing international artists to India and providing a worldwide platform for Indian artists. Indian and other artists will showcase contemporary visual art mediums in existing galleries and halls, and site-specific installations in public spaces, heritage buildings and disused structures. Over 80 artists from over 35 countries have been selected to participate in the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012.

In the next three months, the Biennale’s exhibition will be accompanied by a rich programme of talks, seminars, screenings, music, workshops and educational activities for school children and students of all ages. Co-founded and co-curated by two of India’s leading artists, Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu, the Biennale is designed to create a platform to introduce contemporary visual art to India as well as to enable a dialogue among international and Indian artists and the widest possible public. Alongside the development of visual arts in India, a key aim of the Kochi Biennale Foundation is to serve as a catalyst for regeneration and urban development.

In the spirit of initiatives such as the BMW Guggenheim Lab, open since December 9, 2012 in Mumbai, BMW enlarges its cultural engagement in projects addressing issues for urban life. In collaboration with leading Indian and international architects, urban planners and artists, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in partnership with BMW, will commission and produce a series of filmed interviews exploring the topics and challenges facing urbanism in India and other developing regions. This partnership initiative will be an important element of the Kochi Biennale Foundation’s research program and develop the large-scale cultural project’s theme of ‘cosmopolitanism and inclusiveness’. All interviews and discussions will be filmed and screened at a symposium as part of the closing week programme in March 2013. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale will then take place every two years in Kochi and Muziris, India.

More information on the BMW Group’s cultural involvement: www.bmwgroup.com/culture and www.bmwgroup.com/culture/overview



About BMW’s Cultural Commitment

For more than 40 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in over 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main focus of its long-term commitment on modern and contemporary art, jazz and classical music as well as architecture and design. In 1972, three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group's Munich headquarters. Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Olafur Eliasson, Jeff Koons, Zubin Metha, Daniel Barenboim and Anna Netrebko have co-operated with BMW. The company has also commissioned famous architects such as Karl Schwanzer, Zaha Hadid and Coop Himmelb(l)au to design important corporate buildings and plants. In 2011, the BMW Guggenheim Lab, a global initiative of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, the Guggenheim Museum and the BMW Group celebrated its world premiere in New York. The BMW Group takes absolute creative freedom in all the cultural activities it is involved in for granted – as this is just as essential for groundbreaking artistic work as it is for major innovations in a successful business.

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pressclub/p/pcgl/pressDetail.html?title=bmw-is-partnering-with-kochi-muziris-biennale-india%E2%80%99s-inaugural-festival-of-international&outputChannelId=6&id=T0135377EN&left_menu_item=node__2218

Angandi thottappol Ammayude nenjathe....

Miscreants try to damage Art works of foreign painters (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/299570/works-foreign-artists-vandalised-kochi.html)

Miscreants vandalised works by two foreign artists who are participating at the ongoing Kochi Muziris Biennale here, an act seen by the organisers as a conspiracy to derail the art event.

Paint colours were splashed across a wall art by South African artist Clifford Charles at the Aspinwall House, the main venue for the Bienalle on Tuesday, the organisers said in a statement.

"In the broad day light on Tuesday, one person in his green T-shirt and bermuda was spotted trying to pour paint on Clifford's artistic work. When some onlookers tried to stop him, he fled from the spot," they said.

An attempt was also made to deface a sketch by Australian artist Daniel Connell on the wall of the Cochin Carnival Office here, they said. The Cochin Carnival is collaborating with the Bienalle.

Biennale organisers have filed a police complaint.

The South African artist, however, has taken the event in a sporting way. "While any artist would not want his works to be damaged, it is interesting to see how the locals feel free to try to engage with the work," Charles told PTI.

He said it was important to address larger long term issues such as art education.

"A biennale needs to happen for people to get acquainted with art traditions from across the world. This is all part of the process of working in a dynamic society which is changing," said Charles, who is now working on a new artwork to replace the vandalised one.

In the run up to the Bienalle during the months of April and May when an exhibition of paintings by a German artist was showcased at the Durbar Hall here, authorities of the Dresden Museum in Germany had received threats through e-mails, organisers claimed

5-o_gO2q0lw

^^^^^^^^

The above teaser is BBC Documentary of Kochi Biennale Films... This promo has gone on air from yesterday onwards in many BBC channels... The BBC also has made a detailed narration of events in BBC Radio also.

Nammade TSR jillennu Muziris adichukondu pokan nokkunnu kallanmar....

Nammade TSR jillennu Muziris adichukondu pokan nokkunnu kallanmar....

Ohhh, so you confirmed, Muziris is in TSR? So tommorrow Tamilians also can say, Keralites has stolen Muziris, as they are also researching whether Murichipattanam (tamil name of Muziris) is near Karur, where they believe as one of the capital of Imperial Cheras?

Muziris is still a lost city and research is going on, with a primary belief its located inbetween Paravur-Kodungallor belt.... It doesn't restrict within 1957 Kerala Niyamsabha sanctioned district delimitation laws....

The heritage and legacy of Vanchinadu is shared by all people of Kerala.... Travancore Rajas call themselves as Vanchinadupalakan, Kodungallor Rajas as Vanchieshan, Kollam as Kulasheskharapuram or Kochi as Vanchikovil Adikari or Kozhikode Zamorin as Vanchirakshapurshan or Vallunadu for Vanchinadu's Manithara and things like that.....

Ohhh, so you confirmed, Muziris is in TSR? So tommorrow Tamilians also can say, Keralites has stolen Muziris, as they are also researching whether Murichipattanam (tamil name of Muziris) is near Karur, where they believe as one of the capital of Imperial Cheras?

Muziris is still a lost city and research is going on, with a primary belief its located inbetween Paravur-Kodungallor belt.... It doesn't restrict within 1957 Kerala Niyamsabha sanctioned district delimitation laws....

The heritage and legacy of Vanchinadu is shared by all people of Kerala.... Travancore Rajas call themselves as Vanchinadupalakan, Kodungallor Rajas as Vanchieshan, Kollam as Kulasheskharapuram or Kochi as Vanchikovil Adikari or Kozhikode Zamorin as Vanchirakshapurshan or Vallunadu for Vanchinadu's Manithara and things like that.....

Yeah, I confirmed for I have more faith in MGS's knowledge than in yours. Btw, thanks for that wonderful history lesson. A small one from my side, the fame that Kochi enjoys today is due to Kodungallur's misfortune. It is said that the same flood in the Periyar that destroyed the harbor there opened up the one at Kochi.

Yeah, I confirmed for I have more faith in MGS's knowledge than in yours. Btw, thanks for that wonderful history lesson. A small one from my side, the fame that Kochi enjoys today is due to Kodungallur's misfortune. It is said that the same flood in the Periyar that destroyed the harbor there opened up the one at Kochi.

May your faith guide you to best! Amen to that !!!

Was Kochinites did something to destroy Kodungallor thro' the great floods 1341? Did our great great great forefathers lobbied with Nature, to do that?

Please be sensible and relevant to the thread!!:nuts:

May your faith guide you to best! Amen to that !!!

Was Kochinites did something to destroy Kodungallor thro' the great floods 1341? Did our great great great forefathers lobbied with Nature, to do that?

Please be sensible and relevant to the thread!!:nuts:

One will never know whether your forefathers lobbied with nature or not but that is less likely as most probably they had had their origins elsewhere. What was Kochi's history before '1341' after all? Even the Royals of Kochi had their roots in Vanneri near Guruvayur.

So, for the time being, please pride yourself in your region's false heritage.

Cheers,

Kochi Style!

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Kochi Style!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/224936_443316962388742_530066159_n.jpg

^^:lol:

leave him. He will be even fighting with his brother/sister telling, you got the share of father's property because his father decide to produce them. Cant really believe how people think.

Kochi Style!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/224936_443316962388742_530066159_n.jpg

Your pic? No surprise there! Aa affluent ennezhuthi vechirikkunnathil cheriya parishkaram varuthiyal nannayi cherum tta.

^^Vannallo adutha vanamala

Kochi-Muziris Biennale records 10,000 footfalls on single day (http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2012/December/international_December921.xml&section=international&col=)
COCHIN: The introduction of entry fee for Cochin-Muziris Biennale did not deter visitors from thronging the venues on Sunday.
The organisers said as many as 10,000 people from different walks of life visited the biennale venues on Sunday. The entry fee fixed for adults is Rs50 and children, including school and college students Rs10.

The enthusiasm has prompted the organisers to keep all the Biennale open on Monday, which is otherwise day-off for maintenance.

The main venue, Aspinwall House in Fort Cochin, witnessed the visits of quite a few public figures and cultural personalities from abroad as well. They included Kerala Social Welfare Minister M K Muneer, former state culture minister M A Baby, Iranian filmmaker-artist Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Swiss Ambassador to India Linus von Castelmur besides Malayalam film actor Vineeth Kumar.

Muneer, who spent two hours enjoying the exhibits, said Cochin has currently become centre of attraction in the global art map, courtesy the Biennale. “We are lucky to be seeing world-class art at our doorstep. It is a matter of pride for Kerala,” he noted.

“I have come here as an artist myself, not as a minister,” the 50-year-old ghazal lyricist added. “I’ll revisit the Biennale sooner than later.”

Kandahar director Makhmalbaf, who came to Aspinwall House with his family, said the Biennale symbolised a kaleidoscope of world art.

“Art and artists give strength to any society. Like with other things in India, art too is varied in this country. Democracy means a variety of sounds. That finds reflection in the Biennale here,” he said, accompanied by daughters Samir and Hana.

“Art is true. We need to share it. I’m happy to have attended this event,” the 55-year-old filmmaker said.

Baby, who was one of the architects of the idea of India’s first Biennale, said the event has succeeded as a tool of social intervention in a better way than was conceived initially. “That way, I have only love left for those who raked up a controversy behind this endeavour,”

He said the Biennale has itself given a reply to the critics who questioned the benefit the event would provide to Kerala’s artists. “The future will tell us the exactness of the new sensibility that the Biennale has given to the art scene in the state. It is the beginning of a new art sensibility for is people,” he added.

Baby, like Ambassador Dr Castelmur, visited the Biennale with his family.

Earlier in the day, T K Ashraf, chairman of a standing committee under the Corporation of Cochin, gave away the first ticket to the first visitor at the sea-facing Aspinwall House. The queue was long right from the start of the day.

In the afternoon, co-curators Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu led a three-hour ‘photo walk’ that gave 100-plus camera people a better idea of the installations and paintings at the Biennale venue.

news@khaleejtimes.com

Five-day ’Chavittu Natakam’ fest at Biennale (http://english.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?contentId=13096415&channelId=-1073865028&catId=-191621)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Kochi-Muziris_Biennale_Logo.jpg

Kochi: The first-ever confluence and interaction of all the existing schools of Indias only classical Christian dance-drama will be the central episode of a five-day 'Chavittu Natakam' festival to be held this week as part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

Chuvati 12, being convened in coastal Gothuruth village near North Paravur from Dec 26, will host half-a-dozen shows of the five-century-old Kerala ballet that has flourished in a Latin Catholic context and revels in European ballets aesthetics as well as costumes. 'Chavittu Natakam' is believed to have originated in the 16th century after the arrival of Portuguese on the Malabar Coast even as some of its playback scores are in the ancient Dravidian language of Tamil.

The highlight of the fete will be a day-long seminar on Dec 29, when scholars, artists, aesthetes and buffs of Chavittu Natakam will exchange ideas that would be subsequently published as a book, according to organisers of the pioneering festival. This seminar, which will be part the Annual Rings literary space of the Biennale, will see a lecture-demonstration by senior Chavittu Natakam performer Thambi Kadakath.

"The symposium will have a second phase in end-January involving exchange of viewpoints by Chavittu Natakam performers, academicians, critics and art lovers", Ramachandran said. 'The ideas emerging out of it would also form content for the proposed tome. The effort is to contemporarise the art form".

The services of late Sebina Raphy and Georgekutty Asan to Chavittu Natakam will be commemorated at the fete, according to the functionaries of SAC, Gothuruth. A concrete statue of Chinnathambi Annavi, the founder of the art form, is being done by Anto George.

The festival will start off on Wednesday with the play St George, directed by A.N.Anirudhan and performed by the Kerala Chavittu Nataka Academy, Gothuruthu. Julias Caeser, directed by Britto Vincent, Brijeena Charitham, directed by Fr. V.P. Joseph Valiyaveettil and based on the ancient script of Annavi, will be staged. Antony Kadakath will present a solo performance of Chavittu natakam based on the story Roxilin the Villain under the auspices of Peoples Arts Club, Gothuruth.

‘Biennale will have lasting influence’ (http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/article1393360.ece)
The benefits of art will take time to reflect on society, England-based Belgian art scholar Chris Dercon said at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale venue here on Monday. “Not many seem to have sensed the significance of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. It would take at least five to six years to get a feel of the contribution of the event to the local culture,” the director of Tate Modern Art Gallery, London, said.

The event in Kochi can be called the Venice Biennale of Asia, he said in the ‘Lets Talk’ section at the Aspinwall House in Fort Kochi.

Dercon called upon the Kerala government to support the biennale, noting that the event reflects the latest trends in the world of contemporary art.

It is the common people who come in hordes to attend such festivals, he said. Earlier, P Rajeeve MP, and Hibi Eden MLA, visited the venue. The biennale will be open to visitors on Christmas day.

Scholar sees shades of Venice (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/121225/news-current-affairs/article/scholar-sees-shades-venice)
Kochi: The Kochi Muziris Biennale can rightly be termed the Venice biennale of Asia, according to Belgian art scholar Chris Dercon who is also the director of the Tate Modern art gallery in London.

The response to the art event here over the last two days says that “we are not dumb or numb”, and this city cannot be a place of decay.

There is this concept in the art world too “where one buys for low and sells for high”. When places like Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai have been trying to get on to the world art map from nothing to boast of as a legacy, Kochi has gone way ahead. Looking at the response of the local people, it was for the government to come forward and support the event, he added.

There have been voices of dissent, which he says, are welcome. This has been the case always and it will take a few years to sense the benefits of art, he said when asked about the opposition to this art event from a section of artists. “It is the case everywhere where those refused will come together and at a later stage they will be refused by a new team”, he added.

Dercon recalled how an exhibition of Amrita Shergill’s works had been organized in Munich with great difficulty, but the same exhibition later in London met with a huge response.

He was all praise for artist Amar Kanwar whose work at the biennale had been attracting crowds and also how even renowned artist Subodh Gupta was willing to leave the space allotted to him for the work of another veteran Vivan Sundaram just because it was fascinating. Art is not to be looked at from the point of capital gains.

Kumbalangi got its Open Air Performance Center

India's first Model Eco-tourist village- Kumbalangi now got an open air amphitheater, that can accommodate 1000 people with stage facilities for conducting regular arts performance within children's park....

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/7622/804216619342938.jpg

Kochi Biennale enters its third week (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Kochi-Biennale-enters-its-third-week/articleshow/17786309.cms)
KOCHI: With Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India's first biennale, entered its third week, the event has registered an impressive 75,000 footfalls across its dozen-odd venues in the first fortnight.

According to the Kochi Biennale Foundation, even on the leanest day, the number of visitors doesn't go below 4,000, and there has not been any dearth of visitors even after the show was ticketed from December 23.

Majority of the visitors are students, and a good number of foreign tourists too turn up at the venues. A palpable rise in tourists is another effect of the biennale for the city.

Writer NS Madhavan, who visited the Biennale today, said the festival could be conducted only with the help of financial aid from the government "at least till its first four editions".

"The Biennale throws up unfamiliar sights and images. It is when artists — and not bureaucrats — work together that such festivals become meaningful," said the writer who was accompanied by his journalist wife Sheela Reddy.

Madhavan will be the guest of honour on Friday at the Chavittu Natakam festival to staged in Gothuruth near North Paravur as part of the biennale.

Award-winning filmmaker Shyamaprasad also visited the Aspinwall House, the main venue for the Biennale. "Here, the common people get a chance to know world-class art," he said. He was accompanied by his wife Sheeba and daughter Sivakami.

Model-turned-actor Parvathy Omanakkuttan and hairstylist Ambika Pillai were the other celebrities who visited the show on Thursday.

http://dailypioneer.com/nation/119241-installation-on-banned-outfits-at-kochi-biennale-kicks-up-row.html

Does freedom of expression allow an artist to display the flags and insignias of nationally and internationally banned outfits and to convene a summit of such groups in the name of art? Currently, this is the point on which the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the first such event to be hosted in India, is being discussed.

The subject of discussion is a political installation by Dutch artist Jonas Staal in which the flags of 45 banned outfits — 24 Indian and 21 from outside —have been featuring at Aspinwall House in Fort Kochi, the main venue of Kochi-Muziris Biennale, which has been mired in controversies right from the stage of inception.

Staal is planning to hold a New World Summit, a gathering of representatives of banned national and international outfits to mark the conclusion of the biennale in March. The summit at the Kochi biennale, with the theme History According to Resistance Movements, will be the third such programme being organised. The first was held in Berlin in May this year.

The Kochi Police have already made it clear that the summit would not be allowed to be held if it is being planned as a meeting of banned organisations. Police officials also said that Staal’s installation at the biennale would be removed if it was against the laws of the land. The police have sought legal opinion on this matter.

Staal says the history of resistance movements will be supplementary history and that all banned organisations will be invited indiscriminately to the summit to present their ideologies. But police are not impressed. The Intelligence wing of the State police is already holding a probe into the matter and the AFDGP (Intelligence) has been given a preliminary report.

The banned organisations represented by billboards at Staal’s political installation include the Taliban, LTTE, LeT, Indian Mujahiddin, ULFA, etc. Staal and the biennale organisers vouch that they are not violating any Indian or international law with the pavilion or the summit plan but they are well within the realm of legality.

“We give freedom to make creative work. That has been given to Staal also,” says Bose Krishnamachari, a leader-organiser of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. According to Staal, the summit would not be illegal as an outfit banned in one country need not be banned in another. Also, there could be people linked to a banned outfit who are free to travel and talk, he says.

According to the Dutch artist, the plan is dedicated to providing ‘alternative parliaments’ hosting organisations that are excluded from democracy. He also justifies the pavilion with billboards of banned groups saying that it is “an artistic exploration of a political space that could serve the diplomatic purpose of creating a space between the State and listed outfits”.

The fact remains that the police in Kochi are confused over the legal sanctity of the installation exhibited openly and the open plan for a summit of banned outfits. “Even legal experts are a bit confused. It is one thing to work in or for a banned outfit and it is another to talk about it. You can’t book a person for doing the latter,” said a leading lawyer of the Kerala High Court.

The police are also finding it difficult to openly intervene in the issue due to the presence of several distinguished personalities and top bureaucrats in the biennale as its trustees. The event was inaugurated on December 12 by none other than Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Try try try... Untill succeed...

Thats what vested interested groups, who wants to scuttle India's first biennale and doesn't want to lose their monopoly over arts getting into public space, believes now....

Anyway, I hope Kochi will definitely hoist 3rd session of New World Summit, after Berlin and Leiden....

Try try try... Untill succeed...

Thats what vested interested groups, who wants to scuttle India's first biennale and doesn't want to lose their monopoly over arts getting into public space, believes now....

Anyway, I hope Kochi will definitely hoist 3rd session of New World Summit, after Berlin and Leiden....

Event is a blockbuster ...thr was unprecedebted crowd yestrday...
So many people ...

Kochi Biennale – Excuse to Promote Terrorism ?
December 25, 2012
By gokulvarmank
Aum Shinrikyo, Al Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade, Al’Qaida, Abu Sayyaf, Abu Nidal group, Babbar Khalsa, CIRA, Hizb-ul-Mujaheddin, Hezbollah, Harkat-ul-Mujaheddin, IRA, INLA, Indian Mujaheddin, Khalistan Commando Force, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Laskhar e Taiba, RIRA, SIMI, Tehreek e Taliban, ULFA, UVF.



These are just a few of the numerous terror organizations that have been invited as part of an event called the “New World Summit” that is to be conducted under the aegis of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012 which started from December 12, 2012 and shall continue till March 13, 2013. The objective is “ providing “alternative parliaments” hosting organizations that currently find themselves excluded from democracy, for example by means of so-called international designated terrorist lists.”



Sounds quite innocent enough, but do read through the list above once more. Terrorist groups who have blood of countless innocents on their hands. Are we really going to offer them a platform to advertise their hatred and excuses?



I had visited the much touted Biennale today, on the 25th of December 2012. I was enjoying the range of contemporary arts that are being exhibited through several venues in the Aspinwall compound at Fort Kochi when suddenly I noted the special pavilion with several flags forming a ring around it. Some of these flags were quite familiar to me, as a person who is a follower of military and security issues worldwide. I ventured closer and was aghast to see the flags of Indian Mujaheddin and Irish Republican Army, two organizations that I could recognize with the greatest ease by their flags. The plaque placed at the center of the pavilion provided information about the “New World Summit” being planned by the Netherlands artist Jonas Staal which was planning to conduct their third summit at Kochi in March 2013. The first summit was conducted at Berlin in May 2012 and the second is to be conducted at Netherlands on December 29th, 2012. I was shocked that despite such blatant advertisement of terrorism, no one, not the politicians, nor the media who have been hyping much about the Biennale for ages noticed it.



Artists are often accorded their artistic freedom for nihilism and anarchy, for their spirits truly ought to be unbridled by restrictions. However these freedoms ought to stop at the point at which they transgress the limits of art and venture into political activism. Sure these terrorists may have various benign and noble excuses for what they profess, but their actions have nothing benign about them. From Aum Shinrikyo, who released the Sarin nerve gas in a crowded Tokyo metro killing 13 and injuring nearly a thousand innocent people to Indian Mujaheddin who have claimed responsibility for various terrorist bombing attacks all over India in the past decades, do these organizations deserve their voice and cause be accorded legitimacy at venues such as this? An art event of international stature, an event that was welcomed whole heartedly by the people of Kochi and Kerala, should that good will be showered upon these terrorist groups?



I am a firm believer of the motto that the best terrorist is a dead terrorist, so feel free to paint me as biased. But the day you are giving mainstream voice and legitimacy to terrorist groups, who have killed thousands of innocents for no matter whatever cause, you are joining the cause of terrorism yourself. Germany and Netherlands are nations that have not faced much terrorism in recent years. But I doubt even Germany or Netherlands would have permitted these summits to take place if any organization that took German or Dutch lives were being given advocacy there? I for one do not see Black September, Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine, Red Army Faction, Red Youth or the Japanese Red Army being offered a chance to make their case for “alternative parliament”. I dont see the activists of the Free Maluku Selatan (Moluccas) being given speaking opportunities at Netherlands?



We in India, we face attacks from several of these terrorist groups. I suppose affront to Indian sensibilities does not matter as much as tip toeing around European sensibilities. Lashkar e Taiba, Jaish e Muhammad, Hizb ul Mujaheddin are names that even the least politically astute person in India knows, because of the extreme heinous nature of their crimes. It is an affront to our brave soldiers, our valiant policemen to our martyrs for such platforms to be given to such groups. It is an affront to the secular fabric of a history city like Kochi, that in the place where the Jews always felt at home and were never persecuted, just a few kilometers from their historic Synagogue an organization like Hezbollah is given an opportunity to explain how right they are in thinking that all Jews ought to be wiped out. Invoking the inevitable Godwin’s Law, I would not be surprised if they had put up flags of National Socialist German Workers’ Party. When you give legitimacy to mass murderers surely you must not leave out the biggest of them all!

US academic medical centre to hold seminar at Biennale (http://english.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?contentId=13143676&channelId=-1073865028&catId=-191621)
Kochi: A leading multi-specialty academic medical centre of the United States will hold a seminar here in February as part of the ongoing Kochi-Muziris Biennale to create awareness of the concept of arts and medicine.

Cleveland Clinic's Arts and Medicine Institute (http://my.clevelandclinic.org/arts_medicine/default.aspx) will host a seminar on 'Arts and Medicine for India' on February 13, with focus on healing through fine arts, the organisers of the three-month event said. The sessions will use the 1921-founded institution as a model for discussion, the Kochi Biennale Foundation said.

The purpose of the symposium, to be held under the direction of Iva Fattorini, Managing Director and Chairperson of the Global Arts and Medicine Institute at Cleveland Clinic, will be three-fold.

It was aimed at educating artists and physicians on the methods and benefits of applying arts in patient care, providing an overview of current research to create awareness about the arts in healing concept and developing an inventory of existing programmes in India to further promote the implementation of arts and medicine programs into their hospitals, it said. The seminar will feature art therapy that would aid in the emotional and physical healing for patients.

Combining visual, therapeutic, performing, and learning arts, the Arts and Medicine Institute strives to enhance the Cleveland Clinic experience through the arts, to practise and investigate the use of the arts in healing and to build community around the arts, health, and medicine. The health system's fine art collection includes over 4,500 pieces throughout its facilities.

Cleveland Clinic's Arts and Medicine Institute was created with the purpose of integrating visual arts, therapeutic arts, performing arts and education initiatives to promote healing and to enrich the lives of Cleveland Clinic patients, families, visitors, and employees, a release said.

The Biennale has seen a fantastic amount of people explore the various exhibition locations, so far 120,000 people have passed through the gates at Aspinwall, the main venue.

Source: Kochi Biennale Films (https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheScenesAtIndiasFirstBiennale?ref=stream)

^^^^^^^^

DLF and Travancore Royal House should actively consider redeveloping Aspinwall into likes of Kerala's Le Louvre.......

This 1.5 Lakh sqft sea promenade house has all features of becoming a landmark Art Gallery, if properly renovated.... I don't wish, it to be another Govt facility to be monopolised by bujis, rather Royal family itself which has traditions of promoting arts and culture, that have produced genius like Swati Thirunal or Raja Ravi Varma etc have all potential to redevelop into center of arts and culture.....

If 1.2 lakh tourists visited even with this kind of ticket rates, surely DLF can also understand the potential a modern art gallery and its commercial advantages too, in historic Fort Kochi.......

ബിനാലെയ്ക്ക് സര്*ക്കാര്* പിന്തുണ നല്*കും - കെ.എം. മാണി

കൊച്ചി: കൊച്ചി - മുസ്സിരിസ് ബിനാലെയ്ക്ക് സര്*ക്കാര്* സാമ്പത്തിക പിന്തുണ നല്*കുമെന്ന് ധനമന്ത്രി കെ.എം. മണി പറഞ്ഞു. തിങ്കളാഴ്ച ബിനാലെയുടെ പ്രധാന വേദിയായ ആസ്​പിന്*വാളിലെത്തി കലാസൃഷ്ടികള്* കണ്ടശേഷമാണ് അദ്ദേഹം ഇക്കാര്യം അറിയിച്ചത്.

ബിനാലെ എന്താണെന്ന് കണ്ടു മനസ്സിലാക്കാനാണ് ബിനാലെ വേദിയിലെത്തിയത്. നല്ല കലാനുഭവമാണെന്ന് മനസ്സിലായി. പൗരാണികവും ഗ്രാമീണവും നാഗരികവുമായ സംസ്*കാരങ്ങളുടെ സംഗമമാണ് ഇവിടത്തെ സൃഷ്ടികള്*. കേരളത്തിന് ഈ പ്രദര്*ശനം ഒരു മുതല്*ക്കൂട്ടാണെന്ന് കെ.എം. മാണി പറഞ്ഞു.

http://www.mathrubhumi.com/online/malayalam/news/story/2046254/2013-01-08/kerala

സംഘര്*ഷ കാലത്ത് ബിനാലെയ്ക്ക് പ്രസക്തിയേറെ-ശശി തരൂര്*

http://images.mathrubhumi.com/print_images/2013/Jan/07/00202_243102.jpg

കൊച്ചി: സംഘര്*ഷങ്ങള്* വര്*ദ്ധിക്കുന്ന കാലത്ത് ബിനാലെ പോലുള്ള പരിപാടികള്*ക്ക് ഏറെ പ്രാധാന്യമുണ്ടെന്ന് കേന്ദ്ര സഹമന്ത്രി ശശി തരൂര്*. കൊച്ചി-മുസിരിസ് ബിനാലെയോടനുബന്ധിച്ചു നടന്ന ലെറ്റസ് ടോക്ക് പരിപാടിയില്* 'ഗ്ലോബലൈസേഷന്* ആന്*ഡ് ദി ഹ്യൂമന്* ഇമാജിനേഷന്*' എന്ന വിഷയത്തില്* സംസാരിക്കുകയായിരുന്നു അദ്ദേഹം.

മറ്റുള്ളവര്* നമുക്കുവേണ്ടി ചെയ്യുന്നതെന്താണെന്നും അതെ പ്രകാരം നമ്മെ മുന്നോട്ടു നയിക്കുമെന്നും പരസ്​പരം മനസ്സിലാക്കാനും അതനുസരിച്ച് ബന്ധങ്ങള്* ദൃഢമാക്കാനും ഇത്തരം പ്രദര്*ശനങ്ങള്*ക്കു സാധിക്കും. ആഗോളവല്*കരണം ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നില്ലെങ്കില്* നമ്മുടെ ഭാവനയും ചുരുങ്ങിപ്പോകുമായിരുന്നുവെന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം സൂചിപ്പിച്ചു.

ഇന്*ഡ്യന്* കൗണ്*സില്* ഫോര്* കള്*ച്ചറല്* റിലേഷന്*സ് ഡയറക്ടര്* ജനറല്* ഡോ. സുരേഷ് കെ. ഗോയല്*, വി.എസ്. സുനില്*കുമാര്* എം.എല്*.എ., ചലച്ചിത്രകാരന്* ടി.വി. ചന്ദ്രന്*, ആര്*ട്ടിസ്റ്റ് സി.എന്*. കരുണാകരന്* തുടങ്ങിയവരും ബിനാലെയിലെ പ്രദര്*ശനങ്ങള്* കാണാനെത്തി.

Kochi biennale can promote communal harmony: Shashi Tharoor

KOCHI: Kochi-Muziris Biennale is relevant in the modern times which is that is marked by unease and animosity between countries and communities, said Shashi Tharoor, Union minister of state for human resources development.

The biennale would help people know what others do for them, thus cement a human bond, he said while delivering a lecture at the Aspinwall House, the main venue of the three-month extravaganza at Fort Kochi.

"But for globalisation, our imagination would have shrunk," the minister said. It has been helping people in exploring their own identity and expand their mental horizon, he noted at the talk titled 'Globalisation and the Human Imagination'.

Tharoor noted that terrorist organisations have been trying to muzzle and assault the human imagination in the current post-liberalisation world. The 9/11 attack in the US and Mumbai 26/11 have made a lot of changes in the world and India, he added.

The results have been communal friction and social tensions. Globalisation has withstood their pressures, and continues to benefit mankind, he added.

Earlier, the minister took a tour of the Aspinwall House, watching the exhibits put on display at the sea-facing building.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Kochi-biennale-can-promote-communal-harmony-Shashi-Tharoor/articleshow/17936803.cms

Sam Pitroda visits Kochi-Muziris Biennale venue

KOCHI: A major role in the growth of individuals and society is played by art and culture, said Sam Pitroda, who is advisor to the Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations.

In this sense, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale presents to the world a new set of sights and experience, he said after a visit to the ongoing three-month art festival in the city on Wednesday.

Noting that India has been contributing to progressive ideas at a global level, the septuagenarian technocrat-entrepreneur said this applied to the field of art which is also changing in the new age.

"Such efforts can be galvanised by events like the biennale," he said after viewing exhibits at the Aspinwall House in Fort Kochi.

Among other notable visitors at the biennale on Wednesday was English curator Robert G W Anderson, a former director of the British Museum in London, and Mark Robert Shaw, who was earlier associated with the Scotland National Museum.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Sam-Pitroda-visits-Kochi-Muziris-Biennale-venue/articleshow/17958545.cms

Case against Kochi Muziris Biennale organisers

The Fort Kochi police on Wednesday registered a case against the organisers of the Kochi Muziris Biennale for displaying an instalation with the flags of various banned outfits across the world at the event.

According to police, the Home Department had given permission to the Kochi city police to take action against the organisers, if they were found violating the law.

According to police, the case was registered following a report submitted before the Kochi city police special branch and the state intelligence wing a month ago.

The report stated that Jonas Staal, a Dutch artist had installed billboards depicting flags of 24 Indian and 21 foreign outfits including those of the Taliban, Indian Mujahideen, and the LTTE.

http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/article1415178.ece

സെലിബ്രേറ്റ് കേരളം ഹാപ്പിനസ് ഫെസ്റ്റിവല്*-2013

കൊച്ചി: സെലിബ്രേറ്റ് കേരളം കൂട്ടായ്മ സംഘടിപ്പിക്കുന്ന 'സെലിബ്രേറ്റ് കേരളം ഹാപ്പിനസ് ഫെസ്റ്റിവല്*' ഫിബ്രവരി അഞ്ച് മുതല്* 28 വരെ ഇടപ്പള്ളി കേരള ആര്*ട്ട് ആന്*ഡ് ഹിസ്റ്ററി മ്യൂസിയത്തില്* നടക്കും.

ത്രയം, മാധവന്* നായര്* ഫൗേണ്ടഷന്* എന്നീ സംഘടനകളുടെ സഹകരണത്തോടെയാണ് ഫെസ്റ്റിവല്* സംഘടിപ്പിക്കുന്നതെന്ന് ഫെസ്റ്റിവല്* ഡയറക്ടര്* സിദ്ധാര്*ഥ് ഭരതന്* പത്രസമ്മേളനത്തില്* അറിയിച്ചു.

അന്താരാഷ്ട്ര നിലവാരമുള്ള ഗാലറികളിലായി നടക്കുന്ന ചിത്ര-ശില്പ -ഫോട്ടോ പ്രദര്*ശനമാണ് പരിപാടിയില്* പ്രധാനം. സംഗീതാവതരണം, ഡോക്യുമെന്ററി ഫെസ്റ്റിവല്*, പാരമ്പര്യ കലാരൂപങ്ങളുടെ അവതരണം, നൃത്തപരിപാടികള്*, സെമിനാറുകള്*, കവിതാ സായാഹ്നം, ചര്*ച്ചകള്* തുടങ്ങിയ പരിപാടികളും ഉണ്ടാകും.

ഇടപ്പള്ളി എം.എന്*.എഫ്. മ്യൂസിയം ഗാലറിയില്*, ഇന്ത്യയിലും അന്താരാഷ്ട്ര തലത്തിലും പ്രശസ്തരായ കലാകാരന്മാരുടെ ചിത്രപ്രദര്*ശനം ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കും. അതുല്* ബല്ല, മോനലി മേഹേര്*, ജിജി സ്*കറിയ, വിവേക് വിലാസിനി, ബഹുലെയന്*, രതിദേവി പണിക്കര്* തുടങ്ങി നാല്പതോളം കലാകാരന്മാര്* പങ്കെടുക്കും. മധു വേണുഗോപാലാണ് പ്രദര്*ശനം ക്യൂറേറ്റ് ചെയ്യുന്നത്.

15, 16 തീയതികളില്* കാലം, ദേശം, ചരിത്രം എന്നീ വിഷയങ്ങളില്* സെമിനാറുകളുണ്ടാകും. 17, 18 തീയതികളില്* നടക്കുന്ന ഡോക്യുമെന്ററി, ഷോര്*ട്ട് ഫിലിം അനിമേഷന്* ഫെസ്റ്റിവലില്* പ്രശസ്ത ചിത്രങ്ങള്* പ്രദര്*ശിപ്പിക്കും. 14 മുതല്* 20 വരെ ഓള്* ദി ഫാറ്റ് ചില്*ഡ്രന്*, കോ-കരിക്കുലര്* ആക്റ്റിവിറ്റി, മഷ്*റൂം ലെയ്ക് എന്നീ മ്യൂസിക് ബാന്റുകളും സംഗീത സംവിധായകന്* ബിജിബാല്*, റെക്*സ് വിജയന്* (അവിയല്*), രശ്മി സതീഷ് (ഗായിക), കവി അനില്* പനച്ചൂരാന്* എന്നിവരും പങ്കെടുക്കുന്ന സംഗീത പരിപാടികള്* അരങ്ങേറും.

സംസ്*കൃത സര്*വകലാശാലാ നാടക വിഭാഗം അവതരിപ്പിക്കുന്ന, കുമാരവര്*മ സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത 'ബീഗം പനിക്കെര്*' എന്ന നാടകവും ഫെസ്റ്റിവലില്* അവതരിപ്പിക്കും.

രാജശേഖരന്*, മധു വേണുഗോപാല്*, സംവിധായകന്* സമീര്* താഹിര്* എന്നിവരും പത്രസമ്മേളനത്തില്* പങ്കെടുത്തു.

http://www.mathrubhumi.com/online/malayalam/news/story/2052231/2013-01-11/kerala

Kochi coup: are you ready for an Indian art biennale?

Pay no heed to Shakespeare - there is a lot in a name. Not for nothing do we have the Venice Biennale, the contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in the northern Italian city. The name conjures up the majesty and grandeur of the place. Neither a "Sha Tin Biennale", say, nor a "Delhi Biennale", quite makes the grade.

http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1123139/kochi-coup-are-you-ready-indian-art-biennale